Love In the Dark
by Hecateslover
Summary: Growing up on the streets did not prepare Harry for magic school. Then again, Hogwarts isn't prepared for him either. HPSS, many other pairings. SLASH, HET, FemSLASH, Dark!Harry. Rated M for a reason. Harry/Dean friendship.
1. Chapter 1

Love In the Dark

* * *

To put it politely, Harry was a prostitute; his only friends were theives and other dubious people. Then he gets his Hogwarts letter.

Major underage stuff, obviously. More than a little BDSM, and Harry is quite the Queen. No one has really seen anyone like him in the wizarding world before...

HP/SS, mainly, but Harry's a huge flirt in this one. Who knows?

* * *

Chapter One:

Harry quite liked the dark. He was far from afraid of it, unlike most children his age. He was hardly afraid of anything, it seemed. He had been living in London for his whole life. His earliest memories were of the orphanage, where the other children were terrified of him and the nuns wouldn't meet his eyes.

He left one day, and they had the good sense not to report it. He wasn't a terrible child, or downright cruel to others, but he was frightening when he did not mean to be. He had dark hair and glittering emerald eyes, with thin lips and a small upturned nose. He was quite attractive looking, but he transformed when he was angry into something more cold, calculating. Scary. He also had a lightning bolt scar over his right brow. He didn't know where it came from. He often covered it with makeup, or a hat- such a marking would make him more recognizable.

He lived on the street because he chose to- he had been taken in several times by a number of 'good Samaritans'. One had been a drunk, and mistakenly thought of him as her dead daughter. Another was a drug dealer, and thought Harry was a good Runner. He didn't mind the exercise, although that led to his next 'guardian'- he'd been traded for goods to a guy who dealt in guns.

It was a bad place to be. He got out of there quickly. He preferred living where he didn't have to depend on others- he could just walk away any time he liked. He hung out with the prostitutes, and by the time he was ten, he'd been 'led astray' by a number of 'Johns'.

He knew exactly how to do it too. The men asked for several things, usually. One, where he struggled and fought, pretending that it was unwilling- a vicious fight where he inevitably succumbed. Two- he was compliant and meek, submitting completely. Three- where he and the 'John' went to a public place and did a wholesome activity together…it usually led to hurried couplings in awkward places.

Despite his age, and small stature- people knew not to mess with him. People had the nasty habit of getting evicted, arrested, or a number other bad things happen to them if they had treated the boy wrong- they were convinced that Harry was cursed.

The thing was, Harry was not cursed. It was just his nature. Each person that treated him ill would inevitably meet their downfall- he called it a 'cosmic retribution.' He knew that his abilities were not normal- that he was not normal. But he'd always thought that. He had resigned to be abnormal from a very young age, and frankly, his abilities had saved his life more than once.

The thing was, these people who mistreated him were nothing to those who he would meet in the very near future. And he would soon find out exactly why he was so special.

* * *

Harry sat in the park, sitting on a bench. It was dawn, nearly, and he enjoyed the sight of watching the sun's colors fill the skies with purples, oranges, pinks, and yellows. He then noticed an owl flying- he quite liked owls. However, it seemed to be a bit late in the night/early in the morning for it to be flying about.

He was wearing a large coat to keep him warm in the chilled night air- under it, he wore something more risqué- a pair of rather short shorts, a plain shirt, socks, and neatly polished shoes. His hair curled about his shoulders prettily, something that had drawn more than one customer his way. The coat covered his outfit, only leaving a bit of his legs bare, leaving him to look like a respectable young person out for a walk.

He was impeccably clean- he had to be. He had seen some of the others let themselves go, and did not want to go that route. Perhaps it was just an affect of how cleanliness was drilled into him by the nuns. One pocket held candy, the other full of condoms, and the inside pocket had his gun. Strapped to his arm was a switchblade.

The owl was heading straight for him, he realized. He blinked in surprise as the animal perched on the bench, and lifted its leg.

He rose a brow, and took the small scroll from it. It hooted softly, and then flapped it's wings, and then soared once more into the lightening sky.

He opened the letter, and began to read.

_Harry J. Potter_

_Smallest Bench, Laverty's Gardens, West End_

_London_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1__st__. We await your owl by no later than July 31__st__. _

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall, _

_Deputy Headmistress_

Harry stared at the letter. It could be a joke, but who would play a joke on him? He frowned slightly. How was he to get an owl? That one that had delivered the letter had just flown off.

He slid the letter into his coat pocket, with his candy. He got up from the bench, and brushed himself off, and then left to go find someone that could give him some answers. The sun had fully risen by the time he had found his way to Gary Thomas' place. He was the go-to guy for just about anything- so maybe he would know if this was a prank or not.

He knocked on the door, and he could hear muffled yelling. He frowned, and the door opened, revealing one of Gary's sons. Gary had six sons, and none of them looked like him. From what Harry knew, their various mothers had been prostitutes, and he'd taken them in. They were Pickers.

Dean grinned widely as he saw Harry. "Hey babe! Long time no see!"

Harry went in, and Dean kissed him on the cheek. Harry looked over to see the other boys shoveling their meager breakfast in their mouths, and Gary was stone-faced, a letter in his hand.

"Hey Gary. I thought you might be able to help me…did I come at a bad time?" Harry asked softly.

Dean gave a Look to his father. "Some practical joke or somethin'. I got a letter this morning, from an owl of all things!"

Harry's eyes widened and he took out the letter from his pocket. "I did too!"

Gary straightened in surprise, and compared their letters. "Well, this one's a bit diff'rent. Says that they're goin' to visit Dean in the next couple of days to show him 'round." The man spoke lowly.

"Show him around where?"

Dean shrugged. "No clue. It's kind of odd. You don't really think somebody would play a joke like this?"

Harry took his letter back, and slipped it into his pocket. "No idea." His stomach rumbled, and he glanced at the oatmeal in the large pot. One of the boys got seconds.

He looked away from it, and gave a slight smile to Dean. "You wouldn't mind me joining you guys, then? I don't know why they didn't do the same for me."

Gary shrugged, and went to the cupboards. "You need anything, babe? I've got a couple of pocketbooks here, if you're interested."

Harry had a thing for girl's clothes. Call it a fetish, or an obsession, but he really liked them. The bag was handed over to him. It was made of soft leather- it smelled new. Black, with silver studs. One of the boys Picked it, obviously.

He was handed the other bag- a soft brown corduroy, with a pale yellow lining. Brown leather straps. "This one. How much?"

"For you, hon, 2 Pence." Gary said with a wink.

Harry gave him a slight smile, and pulled the bag on. "Love it. Goes with my jacket." He handed over the money, looking giddy. "I'll be around tomorrow, in case those people come by."

Gary nodded, and Dean asked. "Um…anything weird ever happen to you? Like breaking stuff and you don't know how it happened? Or, um, making stuff change color?"

Harry blinked. "Well, lots of weird things happen to me. You?"

Dean nodded, looking down at his feet. "I, um, was just wondering. You think this school will teach us how to be Gandalf and all that shit?"

Harry giggled. "I don't think you or I could pull that look off. Would be pretty wicked if we could blow stuff up, though." He winked at Dean. "See you." He gave a slight nod to Gary. "See you later, Mr. Thomas."

"Gary. How many times do I have to tell that to you, baby?" Gary said, stroking his hair with beefy fingers. Dean looked away, frowning, and Harry looked down at his feet.

"Gary. Well, I'll see you around, then." Harry left quickly after that. He walked quickly down the street and around the corner, to the little abandoned flat he was staying in, at the moment.

It was a nice little place, a place to stay until its owners returned from their holiday. He took a long shower, and cleaned up for the day. He read the funnies in the paper for a bit, and then went out to get some breakfast.

By lunchtime, he was having his second meal of the day, and had 400P in his other inside pocket. He smiled cheerfully at the John he was dining with, and drank a bit of his milk. The John smiled indulgently at him.

"So, what are you good at in school?" The man asked, glasses flashing in the overhead light as he tilted his head slightly.

Harry started to cut his chicken, pretending to be lost in thought. "I quite like arithmetic. I think, though, that reading is my favorite. I love stories." He hadn't been to school in quite some time. He was a good liar. Those men just ate it up.

The man watched him eat, and he pretended not to notice. "What sort of stories do you like the most?"

Harry shrugged. "Adventure stories. I like comics too. If you had a super power, what would it be?" He kept conversation pretty tame with Johns like this- they liked it more.

The man chuckled, and the waitress came back with their ice cream as soon as he finished his chicken. It was always ice cream, it seemed. Men had a thing about seeing him eat ice cream, for the obvious reasons.

"Well, I would have to say, I would love to fly." The man replied, watching Harry eat the ice cream with slightly narrowed eyes.

Harry smiled, and gave it a long lick. "Oh? Just fly? Not on a broomstick or anything?"

"There's no such thing as magic, little one."

Harry grinned, and set the dish aside. Okay, he needed to hurry this up a bit. "Oh, I believe in it. Want to see?" The man quirked an eyebrow, and paid the bill. They left the diner quickly, and then went up the road, where he parked his car behind a building.

As Harry came up for air, he breathed into the man's ear, licking his lips- "That's magic."

The man looked at him with lust filled eyes. "How much for more?"

"200P, love." He whispered, stroking the man's shoulders and neck, kissing his cheek and earlobe.

"Hmm…damn. I don't have that much on me. 100P?"

Harry gave him a slight shake of the head. "With 100P, all you're getting is what you got. Sorry."

The man's lust turned into anger. "What? I paid for lunch, surely…"

"If I tell you its okay, others will too. I've got _some_ standards, you know." Harry said flatly. The man kicked him out of the car, and shoved his jacket into his arms. He shoved the 100P into Harry's hand, and then closed the car door.

Harry quickly pulled his coat on, and put the money in his pocket. He walked away before the man could get any more ideas.

Minerva McGonagall knocked on the Thomas' door, taking in all the details around her. They were an obviously poor family, with a number of children. The door was opened, by a small child, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Gary!" He yelled, and a large man came to the door. He looked half-drunk, and unshaven. The child looked nothing like the father. Minerva's lips thinned.

"Hello, I'm Minerva McGonagall, I'm Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts…is your son Dean at home?"

"Dean." The man grunted. "Yeah. I've got another kid here, too. A neighbor. He got that ruddy letter."

He let her inside, and she took in the threadbare looking kitchen and sitting room. There was a mess of children staring at the Telly with wide eyes, but they all looked to be too young to be first years. Where was their mother? Why did none of them look the same?

A black boy came out of a room with a white boy, and she knew instantly that these children were magical, and powerful, at that. It was their eyes, and the way they moved. The black boy was a bit tall for his age, and his hair was curly, untamed. He wore a sweatshirt and jeans. His brown eyes were dancing as he took in her robes.

The other child was wearing a large brown coat, and his black hair was curled about his shoulders, his bangs brushing into his eyes. He had glittering green eyes, and something…told her that they looked a bit familiar.

She gave them a small smile, and the black boy extended his hand. "Dean Thomas." He greeted, shaking her hand. He motioned to the other child beside him. "This is my friend, Harry."

The woman's eyes widened and she looked at the child again. "Harry Potter?"

The boy blinked up at her with those mesmerizing eyes. "Yes Ma'am." He gave her a small smile. "You sent the letter?"

"Why…yes, I did. I…wasn't expecting you to be here."

He blinked, and the boys exchanged a look. McGonagall shook her head, trying to get on the right track. "Well, I can take you both to get your school things, then."

"I've never seen a place where we can get wands." Dean said.

Minerva smiled. "Well, there's a special place where we go to get those. You see, the magical community is hidden. We've got shops, a hospital, the school, even a Ministry!"

The boy's eyes widened.

Gary spoke up, after taking a long draw from his beer bottle. "This school, they'll learn magic and stuff?"

Minerva nodded. "Correct." She looked to the children. "Have either of you done something you can't explain? Something that seemed a bit odd?"

They both nodded, but didn't give any details.

"That's magic. Accidental magic, to be precise. Going to Hogwarts will help you gain control of your magic. You will be trained, and eventually, you may be able to have a job in our community, perhaps as an Auror, or a Healer, or a number of other things!" She said brightly.

"What's an Auror?" Harry asked.

"A policeman, of sorts. Actually, Mr. Potter, your Father was training to be one when he died. I knew both of your parents, actually. I taught them when they went to school."

"Wait…my parents were magic too?" Harry breathed.

Minerva sighed. "Yes. I was very close with both of them before they died. Your Mother was a brilliant woman." She said quietly.

"How did they die?"

Minerva looked heavenward for a moment. "Your parents were murdered by a Dark wizard. This particular dark wizard had killed many people. In fact, he tried to kill you as well. You…have the scar?" She motioned vaguely to his brow.

Harry stiffened. "Yes."

"Well, somehow, you stopped him. And then the man died instead. You're actually rather famous in our world- which is why I'm so surprised that you are here."

Harry stared at her. "What? Why? Do I have other family or something?" Dean wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders as the other boy drew close to him.

Minerva frowned slightly. "You have an Aunt and Uncle, and a Cousin. They aren't' magical, though. I know for a fact that Headmaster Dumbledore placed you with them."

Harry shook his head quickly. "I was raised in an orphanage. Then I was placed with a Foster family."

The woman stared at the child. "Oh. Well, I shall investigate what happened. Now, to business."

She gave them a small smile. "I will take you to Diagon Alley to get your supplies today, if you like."

Dean looked over at Gary, who gave him a slight nod, and shuffled out of the room. Dean glanced at Harry, whose grip on his arm tightened in agreement.

"Alright. We'll go."

"Splendid. Now, follow me, children."

Harry and Dean followed McGonagall out of the shabby house, and onto the front walk. She drew out her wand.

"We're going to take the Knight Bus. It's a magical mode of transportation- it spans across the UK, and it will take you anywhere you need to be in almost no time at all."

She raised her wand, and a bright purple double decker bus arrived with a bang. The two children stared up at it, and glanced around. No one else seemed to notice it.

"Muggles cannot see it. Come along children." She ushered them onto the bus, and handed over some coins.

They sat down, and Harry eyed the coins. Minerva spoke up. "It's eleven sickles per person to ride the Knight Bus. We have Galleons, sickles, and Knuts. One Galleon is equal to 17 Sickles and 493 Knuts. One Galleon is equal to 5P."

"Is there a way to convert our money into…Galleons and the like?" Dean asked, eyeing the fat golden coin in her hands.

She nodded. "At Gringott's, our bank. It's run by Goblins, and it's one of the safest places in the world."

Goblins? The boys exchanged a quick glance.

"So are we going to do that today?" Harry asked.

"Actually, Mr. Potter, you have an estate that was left to you by your Parents. I'm not quite sure exactly how much is there, but it should be largely unchanged. However, I do not have your Vault key, so we cannot access it today."

"Oh." Harry said, thinking quickly about how much money he had in his pockets at the moment. He had 600P in his pockets (which was quite a bit, for him, considering he usually only carried about 100P or so. But he'd hit a bonanza early that morning.) He had more at his little flat. About 2300P or so.

He glanced at Dean, and knew the boy didn't have enough money on him to cover what ever it cost for supplies. "Dean, I'll cover us both today. You can pay me back later."

Dean gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks Harry."

Minerva was about to say something, when the bus screeched to a stop. "The Leaky Cauldron!"

She stood, and ushered the boys off of the bus. "Here we are, boys."

They stared at the pub dubiously.

"I know it doesn't look like it's much, but we have to be inconspicuous. Muggles aren't' able to see it. Come along."

They followed her into the pub. They stared wide eyed at all the robed figures, many of them greeting McGonagall by name, and her in return. As she showed them to the back entrance, she said quietly.

"The magical community is a small place. Everyone knows everyone, nearly- almost all of us attended Hogwarts. You'll be hard pressed to find anyone that didn't attend there in this country. Now…" She tapped her wand to the brick wall, and watched the boys gape as they opened- revealing a bustling place.

She led the way to Gringott's, hiding a smile at their shocked whispers and wide eyes. The two boys stopped as they saw the Goblins for the first time. She spoke to them quietly.

"The Goblins are terribly smart, and I wouldn't be rude to them, if I were you. They also have very good memories. I suggest you be courteous and polite, and don't stare at them too much."

Both boys nodded quickly, and followed her into the lobby. It had marble floors and vaulted ceilings, with huge candelabras. People were waiting in line to be waited on. Minerva led them to a line that had a number of people dressed in 'normal' clothes.

A man smiled at McGonagall. "Professor, how are you today?"

Minerva smiled back at him. "Mr. Higgs. I'm doing just fine. How is Angela and Terrance?"

"Fine, fine…" He glanced to the boys. "I see you've got a couple of new firsties there!"

She nodded, and motioned to them. "This is Dean Thomas, and Harry Potter."

The man shook Dean's hand, and blinked at Harry, shaking his. "Nice to meet you both. So, Dean, you are a muggle born?"

Dean glanced to McGonagall, who nodded. "They both grew up in the muggle world, Mr. Higgs."

Mr. Higgs smiled. "As did I! I'm a muggleborn myself you know. I still live in the muggle world, but I work at the Ministry here. So does my wife. My son is in his third year at Hogwarts."

He turned, and realized the woman in front of him had finished her business. "I'm up next. It was nice to meet you both." He gave them a smile, and his eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before he turned away.

Harry was used to people looking at him, but not like that. He glanced up at the Professor. The woman gave him a tight lipped smile. "I suggest not saying your name aloud, if you wish to keep from people staring."

"Oh." Harry said quietly.

After Mr. Higgs was finished with his business, the three of them went up to the counter. The Goblin stared at them with his beady eyes, glancing to Harry for a longer moment than the other two.

"Can I help you?" He growled.

Harry took out a wad of bills that he'd had folded neatly in his pocket. "I'd like to exchange this, please."

The Goblin took the wad of money into his claw, and counted it quickly. He was very fast- it only took a few moments. Minerva was frowning, probably thinking of why Harry would be carrying that much money around.

The Goblin put it into his drawer, and pressed a few buttons. He pulled a bag out of the same drawer, and set it on the counter. "120 Galleons. Anything else?"

Harry took the bag, and put it into his pocket. Minerva glanced at Dean, who shook his head. "No thank you." She said with a tight smile, and led them out of the bank. As soon as they left the lobby, Minerva turned to Harry.

"Where did you get that money?"

Harry blinked. "I do some odd jobs around the neighborhood. I've been saving up for a bike." He said, hoping she didn't know how much a bike cost.

Now that they had their money, the three of them started to buy their things. First on the list was their trunks. Instead of buying them new, both boys got theirs second-hand. They got their scales, telescopes, and other odds and ends next, then went to the book store.

Dean wasn't much of a reader, but Harry was. Both boys wanted to know as much as they could about this new place, and wanted to buy a couple of extra books that weren't on the list, but Minerva said that Hogwarts had a large library, and they wouldn't need to.

She did have them sign up for the Daily Prophet- it cost 5 Knuts a day. They then went to the Owl Emporium, and got their owls. Harry got a snowy white owl that he fell in love with, while Dean got a barn owl.

Then they went to get their wands. Minerva sat on a bench next to Harry while they watched Dean try out wands. She glanced down as the boy crossed his legs next to her, his coat opening slightly, exposing his legs. She frowning at the length of his shorts, but did not comment.

Dean beamed as he found his wand. It was 12 inches, made of oak, sturdy, with a dragon heartstring as a core. Then it was Harry's turn. They sat for a couple of hours while he tried wand after wand- the pile was fairly high as he finally found his.

It was made of Holly, 11 inches, with a phoenix feather core. Minerva was alarmed to find out that the boy's wand was a brother wand to Voldemort's, and vowed to tell Albus as soon as possible.

As they left the shop, they had one more stop to go- to get their clothes. Harry and Dean were fitted for their robes in quick order- Harry had to finally take his coat off. Minerva did not like Harry's clothes, and quietly said that they would need other clothes for when they did not have classes.

Both boys exchanged a look, and nodded.

That evening, Minerva returned to Hogwarts, and sat in Albus' office. Filius, Severus, Pomona, and Albus sat in their usual way, speaking about their days. Each of them visited the potential muggleborns each year in hopes that they would attend the school.

Flilus went on and on about a brilliant girl named Hermione Granger and her dentist parents, who had spent most of their time in the bookshop that morning. The parents were clearly indulgent, and loved their daughter.

Sprout had visited Megan Jones, a cheerful girl who'd grown up with just her Mother. They had many questions for the witch, and spent most of the day talking about Hogwarts- they would start their shopping the following day.

Severus, on the other hand, had visited a Justin Finch-Fletchly. The boy had many muggle friends, but his Father thought it would be better for him to go to Magical School. Severus was under the impression that Justin was a bit of a trouble maker, but he said that about all children. Then, it was Minerva's turn.

Minerva set her tea down. "Well, I went to Mr. Thomas' home early this morning. It was clear to me that they didn't have a lot of money. Mr. Thomas lives with his father, and five other boys. He says they are his brothers, but none of them look alike." She cleared his throat, and took another sip of tea, gathering herself.

"In fact, there was another boy there, a neighbor, who had also received one of our letters. Mr. Potter."

Albus' eyes widened. "He's in London?"

Minerva nodded, knowing that Albus had been searching for the boy for some time. "Yes, and he lives not too far away from Mr. Thomas, it seems. I do not think his Foster family has a lot of money either- his clothes were... they left something to be desired." She said delicately.

"The children were treated properly, weren't they?" Pomona asked.

Minerva looked down. "Well, Mr. Thomas, the boy's father, looked to be…drunk, when I arrived. Both boys were thin, but I didn't see any marks or anything." She frowned slightly.

"Anyways, I told them about the magical world. And I told Mr. Potter about his parents." She gave a Look to Dumbledore. "Apparently he was raised in an orphanage, and then he has lived with Foster families since then."

A grave looked passed over the wizard's face. "How was he?"

"He's got his Mother's eyes, and Father's hair, except longer. Other than that, though, he doesn't look like them. He's a bit shy, and quiet. I suspect he will be quite the reader- he wanted to buy extra books at Flourish and Blott's."

"He is polite, curteous, and hardworking. He had quite a bit of money he had earned from doing odd jobs around his neighborhood. He shared his money with Mr. Thomas because the boy didn't have any of his own. Mr. Thomas insisted that he pay Mr. Potter back when he had the money."

She looked thoughtful, and the others were silent, taking that in. "The boys seem to be extremely close. They have probably known each other for a while. Considering how comfortable Mr. Potter was at their house, I would not be surprised to find that he's a regular guest there."

"And Mr. Thomas' siblings? How did they take the news?" Albus asked.

Minerva shook her head with a sigh. "Didn't even look away from the Telly. I think the children aren't very close to Mr. Thomas or Mr. Potter."

"You said the Father was drunk?" Severus asked, frowning.

Minerva nodded, a look of distaste on her face. "Yes, early in the morning too. Mab, I hate muggles like him."

"How did the Father react to you, and the boys?" Severus asked.

Minerva shook her head. "Disinterested, it seemed. He left the room. He didn't even ask if he could come along. Nor did he ask when I would bring the children back."

Albus frowned. "How did the boys act to Diagon Alley? Frightened? Or excited?"

Minerva smiled. "Excited. Not frightened at all, it looked like. They kept getting distracted, however."

As the meeting closed, Minerva quietly spoke to Albus about Potter's wand. He didn't look surprised.

Harry sat up slowly, creeping out of Gary's bed. The man let out a loud snore. He pulled on one of the man's shirts, and then crept out of the room. Dean was on the couch, staring at the TV.

"You're still awake." Harry whispered, going to the boy's side.

Dean glanced at him, switching the channel. "Yeah. He asleep?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah." He sat next to the boy on the couch, and snuggled under the blanket with him. Dean sighed.

"Don't you hate it? When he…touches you?"

Harry glanced at his friend. They hadn't made it a secret what Harry did for a living. In fact, that was how Harry met Gary and the boys in the first place.

He shrugged. "I'm used to it."

Dean frowned at the TV. "You've got that money, in that bank. You don't have to do it anymore."

Harry sighed. "And then he'll go after the others." He said quietly.

Dean's eyes hardened. "They can leave, if they don't like it."

Harry hugged him. "I'm thinking about getting a place over there. That Leaky Cauldron has rooms. You wanna share?"

Dean frowned. "I still gotta pay you back for today."

Harry smiled. "I know. You always do. Tell you what, if you can pay me back by the time school starts, we'll be good. I'm going to go back to Diagon Alley tomorrow, and see if I can get a room or something. The offer is open, if you change your mind, okay?"

Dean nodded. "Thanks, baby."

Harry laughed. "You know, you're the closest thing I've got to a friend. If you liked boys, that'd be another story." He winked playfully.

Dean rolled his eyes, pushing him. "Fag."

Harry giggled. "Prat."

"Queen."

"Smart-ass."

"Whore."

"Thief!"

* * *

There's the first chapter. Hope you like. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Here is Chapter two, of Love In the Dark. Lovin' the Dark. Hehe.

Don't mind me. Loved the reviews, I laughed hysterically and squealed like a fangirl...and I might have made a few people look at me weirdly when I did so.

Anyways...um, here it is.

* * *

Albus was investigating the Dursleys, and Severus had been chosen to investigate Mr. Potter's home life. He really didn't want to, but the staff had other business to attend to. Also, someone need to give Mr. Potter his key.

He apparated to the coordinates that Minerva had provided, and arrived in an alley way. He was wearing a black button down shirt, jacket, and pants- what he usually wore in the muggle world. He stepped out of the alley, and saw the Thomas house across the street.

He frowned, and was going to walk towards it until the door opened, revealing a bunch of kids. The eldest were in front. All the kids went separate directions, and Severus saw the two eldest- a black boy- Mr. Thomas, and a boy wearing a large brown coat walking up the street, alone.

He followed them quietly, watching their body language and how they talked to one another. Minerva had been right- they were very close. Suddenly, they turned the corner, and he followed. He slowed as they went into a shop. Potter bought some candy, and offered one to his friend, who turned it down.

Potter shrugged, and put it in his pocket. They went their separate ways further up the street, and Severus followed the boy. He watched, for an hour, while the boy sat on a park bench, reading. He walked closer, trying to get a better look at him.

Potter turned a page in his book, and crossed his legs. Severus raised a brow as he saw the boy's legs- they were bare. He walked casually by, and noted that the boy was wearing shorts- short shorts. His legs were thin, but looked good…he realized he was staring, and walked away.

He waited for ten minutes, and walked past again. This time, Potter glanced up at him, and their eyes met. Potter had very, very pretty eyes. Green. Like his Mother's, only...different, somehow. A glimmer of something there was...distracting. In a good way. His step faltered, and Potter gave him a small smile.

"Lost?" Potter's voice was soft, and lilting, as though he was asking a million questions at once.

He coughed. This boy distracted him _way_ too easily. "Um, somewhat."

The boy put his book away, stashing it in a brown corduroy bag. His coat opened wider, surreptitiously showing off his outfit underneath the coat. Severus couldn't help but stare at the glimpse he saw. He looked up at the boy's face quickly as Potter looked at him. "Perhaps I can help?" He asked politely, his voice smooth and calm- the glimmer still in his eyes.

"Er, yes. I'm actually looking for the loo. You wouldn't happen to know where the closest one is?"

The boy stood. "Yes, let me show you. It's not far away." They walked a bit, and Potter glanced at him. "Are you from around here?"

"I'm new to town."

Potter gave him one of those small smiles again, eyes glittering. It made him feel a little uncomfortable, not that he would ever admit it.

"Oh? What's your name?"

"Severus."

The boy's brow rose. "That's an interesting name." He didn't offer his own. He led the way to the loo, and opened the door for Severus. Severus thought it a bit odd, but didn't say anything.

He turned to thank the boy, but Potter just smiled, and lent against the ceramic tiles, putting his arms behind his back, exposing his outfit fully. The girls' pale pink blouse had a high neckline, the bow seemed to hug his thin neck, the lace on the yoke of the shirt showed hints of milky white skin underneath. His tight brown shorts hugged his hips perfectly, and his brown leather shoes looked spotless, the white socks were messily folded over small ankles- almost as if they were done that way on purpose.

Severus looked him up and down, and swallowed. Potter looked absolutely indecent, but…

"I've got some time to kill today…you want to go for lunch? Or perhaps for a walk?"

Severus blinked in surprise as the boy moved forward, touching his arm. He tilted his head. "Are you new to this?" The boy murmured, voice dropping in tone.

Severus froze, wondering what the hell was going on- The boy pressed up against him. He felt a sudden rush of lust course through his veins at the touch. "Don't be scared. I'm safe." He whispered. "You want me, don't you?" That lilting voice sounded even more intoxicating up close.

Severus opened his mouth in shock. "I…"

"100P for a blow." He gave a considering look to the man. "300P for more, if you like."

"I…" He breathed, trembling as the boy took off his jacket, and wrapped Severus' arms around his middle.

"Don't be nervous. I won't tell. And I've never been caught." He whispered, kissing up and down the man's throat, stroking his arms gently. "The money?"

Severus pushed him away, feeling...saddened, disgusted, lusty, and horrified all at once. "I…I don't have it. I'm sorry. I…" He shook his head, turning away. Merlin, what the hell was he doing?

The boy pulled his jacket on once more, and walked in front of him. "It's okay. If you ever change your mind, you can find me here in the park." He touched the man's hand. "You okay?"

Severus ran his hands through his hair. "You're a…a…"

"Whore?" The boy offered. He shrugged. "Yeah. Have been for a while. Does it disgust you?"

"I'm just…surprised." Severus said.

Potter gave him a small smile. "So, if you don't want to do that, we really could just go for lunch or something. I won't try anything."

Severus was about to shake his head, and then thought better of it. He was supposed to investigate the boy. Well, he could just ask the boy. "Lunch, then." He paused. "Ever been to the Leaky Cauldron?"

Potter's eyes widened. "You're a wizard?"

Severus pulled out his wand, and a small golden key. "Yes. Actually, I'm a Professor at Hogwarts. Severus Snape- I teach potions."

The boy seemed to freeze for a moment, a slight look of panic entered his eyes. "I…I'm terribly sorry. If I had known…"

Severus shook his head, and handed over the key. "It's quite alright. The Headmaster asked me to give this to you." He frowned. "You won't be…doing…_that_ again, will you? Now that you've got money?" He better not- Potter would have plenty of money now, no reason to be doing this... God, he couldn't possibly tell the staff!

The boy stared at the key in his hand. "No. I won't. Thank you." He said quietly. He was quiet for several moments. "Why did the Headmaster have my key?"

"The Headmaster was the keeper of your Parent's will."

"Oh."

Severus looked at him carefully. "Potter, your Foster family knows that you do this for a living?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "I don't have a Foster family. I ran away a long time ago from them."

"So you lied to Professor McGonagall."

Potter shrugged. "What was I supposed to say?" He glanced to the key in his hand. "I'd like to make a new start, in the magical world. Still, habits are hard to break." He slipped the key into his jacket pocket.

"You do have protection, don't you?" Severus asked worriedly. He didn't know if Poppy would be able to handle a student with muggle STD's. Sometimes they had a disasterous affects on a wizard.

Potter laughed, and showed him the gun, which made the man blanch. Potter had used a gun before? What about..."Oh, er, I meant…"

"Oh! Well, yeah…" Potter pulled out a couple of condom wrappers from his pockets. "I'm not stupid, you know."

"You don't go to school?"

Potter shrugged. "I go to the library a lot. I learn more there than I ever did in school." He led the way out of the loo.

"I'm sorry about…that misunderstanding." Potter said, meeting his eyes. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

Severus stared at the boy. He could blackmail Potter. He could tell everyone about what Potter did. But if Potter said anything, he could possibly lose his job. But his Slytehrin gut told him to take advantage of this situation.

"No. However, when term starts, I want you to meet me in my office on Saturday morning."

"Why?" The boy asked cautiously.

"There is much you need to know about the wizarding world. Everyone will be expecting you to be knowledgeable about our world. I can…teach you, if you like."

"Oh." The boy blinked in surprise. "Thank you."

Severus gave him a stiff nod. "Have you eaten?"

Potter gave him a small flirtatious smile. "No. Shall we lunch?" He wrapped an arm around the man's, and they walked through the park. As they did so, Severus realized that the next seven years were going to be very, very interesting. There was no way he'd be able to treat Potter like any other student- not when the boy treated him like this...

As they had lunch together, Severus talked about classes, and Potter listened. Although he was supposed to be investigating the boy, Potter seemed tight lipped about many things. He was polite enough, attentive, and flirtatious, but not overly so. If Severus didn't know any better, he would have never thought of the boy as being a whore. Just...a boy who was a bit femenine. His thoughts on the Boy Who Lived had been turned upside down, and he knew that other people would be getting a wake up call once term started as well. The wizarding world was just...not ready for a boy like _this _to be their hero.

"How did you start doing…what you do?" Severus finally asked. He had to know.

Harry sighed, fiddling with his straw. "Well, it wasn't long after I left the orphanage. I was taken in by a woman that had thought me to be her dead daughter. I suppose, that was how I started wearing girl's clothes. I just...like it. I know it's a bit weird and everything, but I think the clothes suit me, don't you?" After not getting a response from Severus, he moved on.

"Anyways, she was a drunk, so I left. I was then taken in by a Dealer, and I was traded to someone who dealt in guns and things. By that time, I had been… 'taken', and I was learning things…I thought it was a bad place to be, so I left. I've been basically on my own since then."

"How do you know Mr. Thomas?" Severus asked quietly. Potter had lived a rough life. He'd been traded? He couldn't imagine what that had entailed. The boy certainly looked well-collected, but he knew that didn't mean anything. His Slytherins hid their rage under icy demeanors, so he knew more than anyone how easy it was to hide one's feelings. Perhaps he only hid behind his charm and flirtaciousness- the boy could be completely different under that...rather attractive exterior.

"I met him a few years back…I stay over sometimes. I have my own place, but he's the closest thing I've got to a friend." He shrugged. "He's straight, so it's nice to know that _someone_ isn't after my- er…anyways, we're good friends."

"So you're gay?"

Potter shrugged. "I suppose. Girls don't really do it for me, but I won't really make an official decision one way or another until I'm older. My clients have always been men."

Severus thought that over. He knew that the wizarding world was perfectly fine with experimentation, with either gender, until the child became an adult. It was then, that they were expected to marry and have children. Many people assumed that Severus could not find a woman willing to be his wife- and there were whispers that he was homosexual, but the fact was, he didn't have time to have a relationship. Not with his work, and his research. And he suspected, with Potter as a student, he would have even less time available in the near future.

And Potter...well, he just could not see Potter with a woman. The press would have a field day-

"I don't have to tell you that you should keep your history to yourself. The press will be all over it." He said, reminded of the boy's fame.

Potter sighed. "So I really am famous." He made a face. "I'd much rather be unnoticeable. Less trouble, that way."

Severus nodded slowly, seeing his logic. Many of his Slytherins felt the same. "Well, you can't change that. I suggest you use your fame to your advantage."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Alright, so what does everyone think of me, then?"

Severus looked down at his coffee. "Well, I know many of my Slytherins think you've been hiding away in some manor, being waited by a legion of House elves. Servants." He explained, seeing the boy's look.

"Oh."

"No one has ever seen you in the wizarding world, so many others assume you are in the muggle world, but living with a wizarding family."

The boy made a face. "I'm going to be terribly behind. I bet all the kids who were raised in wizarding families will know more than I."

Severus smirked. "Not all of them. Some of their parents are complete idiots- we don't have primary schooling like they do here in the muggle world."

Harry snickered, and their eyes met. Severus hadn't talked this much to a child in some time- even to his own Godson. But….he really didn't think of Mr. Potter as a child- he really didn't act it. He was the size of a child, but there was a slight air of forced childishness about him. He had a feeling that Potter didn't think of himself as a child at all. Severus had never really been good at dealing with children- perhaps that was why Severus could talk to Potter so easily.

The waitress came by and smiled. "Ice cream, hon?"

Harry glanced at Severus, and shook his head minutely. "No thank you."

She looked a bit surprised, and Severus noted this. "You come here often?"

Potter blushed. "Er…yes. I always get ice cream."

Severus furrowed a brow, and Potter explained further. "When I go out with…clients, they always like it when I have ice cream."

Severus thought about it for several moments, and then got it. "Ah. I see."

Potter fiddled with his spoon, and the waitress came back with the check. Potter grabbed it, and paid for it, earning another surprised look from the waitress.

She looked as though she wanted to ask, but didn't. Severus didn't have any muggle money on him, and he was rather grateful that Potter had paid.

They were quiet for several moments. "We have to live in dorms, don't we?" Potter finally asked.

Severus nodded. Potter sighed. "I like having my own room. I suppose there is no way of arranging that?"

Severus thought it over. Potter sharing a room with other boys could potentially be disasterous, especcially when he was older. He smirked. "If you're in Slytherin or in Hufflepuff, you can. There isn't enough room in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor to do so. I hardly think you're Hufflepuff material, though."

"Oh? I'm not a hard worker? I'm not friendly?" Potter asked teasingly.

Severus chuckled. "You are also a cunning little thing. I can tell when I see one of my snakes- you are certainly one of mine." It felt entirely too good to say that- James Potter was surely rolling over in his grave. Potter would be quite suited for Slytherin, he decided- and that would give them more of an opportunity to be tog-

The boy stared at him. "So…you're Head of Slytherin. So…what do you do, exactly?"

"A number of things. I look after the students, make sure the prefects are doing what they ought to, oversee detentions, and counsel those that need it."

"Hmm. I think Dean will go to Gryffindor." Potter said, looking thoughtful. "I would like to be in the same house as him, but I suppose I should let him make friends on his own. I do hope that whatever House I'm in, that we'll remain friends."

Severus thought about what the boys must have gone through together over the years. He doubted petty House rivalries would separate them. "You'll do well, I'm sure."

"I'm going to go to Diagon Alley. I…would feel much safer if I had an escort, since I don't know the area well. Do…you, er, have anywhere you need to be?" Potter asked.

Severus thought the boy was practical, at least. "No, not today. I shall escort you to the bank, if you like. Have you gotten your potions kit?"

Potter nodded.

"I'll take you to another apothecary. It's in Knockturne, but the prices are cheaper, and some of the ingredients are better. You can exchange your kit, provided you haven't used any of the ingredients."

They stood, and Severus helped Potter out of his seat. "Knockturne?"

"Knockturne Alley. It's commonly known to host some of the more…dubious shops and things, but I don't think you'll have a problem with it…will you?"

The boy shook his head quickly, and they left the shop.

* * *

The boy stared at huge pile of gold in front of him. Severus stood at his side, watching his face. It sort of crumpled, and he looked down at his feet. "Why was this kept from me?" He whispered. "Why did no one tell me?" He seemed to sway, and Severus caught him by his shoulders. Potter looked up at him with suspiciously wet eyes- as though he was trying to keep from crying.

"The Headmaster has been looking for you for years, Mr. Potter. When he placed you with your relatives, he was sure that you would have grown up there, safe, with them."

Potter looked down. "He apparently didn't look good enough. I've been in London my whole life. Surely the Headmaster knows some sort of magic way to track me down."

Severus frowned. "There is. Do you need any more money? I suggest you don't take more than 30 Galleons with you, there are pickpockets."

Potter gave him an amused look. "I certainly know how to handle myself with pickpockets, sir."

Potter was oohing and aahing over the quality of silks and cottons the shifts and undergarments were made out of. After they had visited the apothecary, they had gone to a clothing shop in Knockturne. Now, the boy was pawing at the rich fabrics gleefully. The shopkeepers were fawning over him as he tried on a number of things. Severus grudgingly admitted to himself that the boy looked good.

The boy stepped out of the booth, turning and twisting every which way in the mirror. The shift he wore was white, nearly transparent. Only _that_ boy could make a simple undergarment look so indecent.

"You look lovely, dear." One of the clerks said.

"Thank you miss. You said this was Italian silk?"

"Yes, all natural, undyed. Would you like it dyed, darling? You'd look particularly fetching in green-"

"Oh, no, no, white is just fine, I think it looks fabulous this way. Severus, what do you think?"

The shopkeepers gave him an amused look. They often saw Severus accompanying his Godson and his Mother to this shop, but they had never seen this boy before. Usually, his other companions ignored the man, but this boy was always asking for the potions' master's opinion. He always said the same thing, though.

"It's fine."

Potter smiled brightly. "I'll take it."

They went to look at shoes next- he hadn't gotten any shoes for school yet, and Potter wanted to get some shoes for Dean as well. The Leather shop held all sorts of wares- shoes, belts, vests, armor, and holsters-

Severus helped Potter get fitted for a holster, and a couple pairs of shoes. They got a pair for Dean as well, as Potter knew what size he wore. As they stepped out of the shop, Potter took his arm once more.

"Is there anything else you'd like to get? I need to be going back soon; I need to give Dean his things."

Severus shook his head minutely. "I'll escort you back. We can apparate."

"What's that?"

"It's rather uncomfortable if you're unused to it. Basically you leave one place, and appear in another, using visualization. Hold onto me."

Potter held onto him around his waist with a flirtatious smile, bags hanging from his arms. Their eyes met, and Severus had a hard time concentrating on where they were supposed to be going. He looked away, and they disappeared with a soft pop.

They reappeared a moment later in the alley way. Potter stumbled slightly, looking a bit green. "I think I'll take my chances with the Knight Bus."

Severus looked to the Thomas house. "Would you like for me to go with you?"

Potter glanced to the house. "No…that's alright. Thank you." He gave the man a small smile. "Thank you for your help today. You were the perfect gentleman." He winked, and went up on his toes to kiss the man's cheek. Soft lips pressed against his skin- just the merest of touches, but it burned on Severus' skin. "I'll see you around, then." Potter's lilting voice drifted over his skin.

Severus nodded, and the boy pulled away, thankfully. "I'll write, if I have any more questions…is that okay?"

Severus gave him a curt nod. "Yes. That extends to Mr. Thomas as well."

"Thank you Severus."

As the boy turned away, Severus spoke up. "Ah, and when we are at the school, please call me Professor."

The boy glanced over his shoulder, and gave him a slight smirk. "Of course, _Professor_."

Severus' face warmed, alarmed at the boy's tone. "Mr. Potter-"

"I'll be good. I swear." He winked, and walked across the street. He opened the door, and almost right away, the door opened, revealing a beefy man. He grabbed Harry and pulled him into a messy kiss, his hands fisting that pretty hair as the man practically devoured him. Severus stared, feeling...many things. Too many to describe. He frowned, and popped away.

* * *

Harry pulled away from Gary, making a face at the man's whiskey breath. "Mr. Thomas, you brute, I haven't even gotten inside yet." He said playfully, trying to hide his disgust.

He looked over to see that the rest of the house was dark, and that there was a broken glass on the floor, and a chair tipped over.

"Where are the kids?" He asked, ignoring the way the man pawed him.

"Out. I want to fuck you." The man breathed, trying to pull his jacket off clumsily.

Harry sighed, and pushed him away gently. "I got something for Dean, for school. Where is he?"

The man made a face. "I think they're down the street, having dinner at the church. Come on baby…" He whined.

Harry pushed him away more forcefully this time. He knew that Dean and the others weren't having dinner- it was too late for that. "I've got to go to my flat and put some things away. I'll be back later, alright hon?"

The man nodded, and staggered away, grabbing a bottle from the messy coffee table. Harry left the house, and quickly went down the street and around the corner. He breathed in relief as he saw the kids and Dean hanging out on his front stoop.

Dean looked at him worriedly as he approached. "Where have you been?"

"I went to Diagon, I got you some shoes for school. I got some clothes too." He smiled at the boys. "I've got some food, guys, who wants some spaghetti?"

He led the way to the flat, and set his packages down in 'his' room. The boys helped set the table, and watched some telly while he and Dean started to make dinner together.

"I met one of our Professors today. I think he was spying on me. McGonagall probably said something to the staff. Anyways, we got to talking, and I got him to escort me to Diagon Alley. He gave me my key."

Dean glanced at him, stirring the pasta.

"I've got a lot of gold. I'm never…selling myself ever again." Harry said quietly, a smile spreading on his face. Dean hugged him, a sad smile on his face.

Harry sighed, and put some oregano in the sauce. "So…I went to Knockturne. Bit of a dodgy place, but they have some great clothes. That's where I got your shoes. They're spelled to grow two shoe sizes, and to be super comfy. I thought you might like them for class."

Dean grinned. "Thanks. I didn't think trainers would fit in with all those school robes we got."

That night, the kids slept in the sitting room while Dean and Harry slept in the bed. Harry curled up next to Dean, playing with the boy's hair.

"Gary was drunk when I stopped by, looking for you guys."

"I know. That's why we left."

"I told him I'd come back later. He's going to be terribly mad at me. I…I'm not going to go back." Harry confessed quietly. "When I said I wasn't doing…that anymore, I meant it. Not for him, nobody."

Dean blinked at him sleepily. "Good. You're better than that. You're a wizard."

"And so are you." Harry sighed, a nuzzled him. "I wish you weren't straight."

"I wish you weren't so grabby, but do I complain?" Dean said, sounding amused.

"Yes."

"Fag."

Harry grinned, and closed his eyes. "That Professor was cute. Mysterious, in a wizardly sort of way."

"Go to sleep, Harry. I don't want to hear about your man-crushes."

"You're no fun."

* * *

Harry and Dean arrived to King's cross fairly early. Since the night that Harry had returned from Diagon Alley, he and Dean had not returned to the Thomas Household. They had stayed at Harry's flat, and had left it spotless when they had left that morning.

Everything they owned was in their trunks, or on their person. Hedwig, Harry's owl, and Charlotte, Dean's owl, had flown on ahead to the school. Harry had named Dean's owl, since Dean couldn't come up with a name. They were both wearing new clothes- Harry had used the last of his muggle money to get them.

Dean was wearing jeans and a new dark blue jumper, with black boots, while Harry was wearing a pale yellow button down shirt, tight brown pants, and his brown leather shoes. His brown bag was hanging off his shoulder.

The boys looked for the platform- from Severus' letter, all they had to do was walk through the barrier at Platform ten- and make sure nobody saw them.

Harry stopped Dean with a touch on the boy's arm, watching a rather large red headed family pass by them, that had owls in cages. They were being obnoxiously loud, and…obvious. Dean couldn't help but smile amusedly at them, and they shared a look.

"Shall we?"

They approached the red headed crowd, and Dean spoke up. "Hello, we're starting Hogwarts too….how do you exactly get through the platform?"

The woman motioned to her children. "Yes, they're going to Hogwarts as well, except for my Ginny here. Now, all you have to do, is walk through. Percy, why don't you show them?"

The eldest gave a jerky nod, and did just that. He walked through the barrier smoothly.

"Now, why don't you try? I'd do it at a bit of a run, if you're nervous."

"Um…that's alright." Harry said, brow furrowing at the girl who couldn't stop staring at him. They walked through the barrier together, and were greeted with a candy apple colored steam train.

"Wow. Cool." Dean commented.

"Come on, let's go find a place before they're all filled up." Harry said, glancing around at the people as they passed. The platform was crowded- filled with parents and kids- even a couple of reporters were there, taking pictures of some of the posher families.

He struggled slightly with his trunk, and the two red headed twins from earlier came out of no where and helped them with their trunks.

"Hello ickle firstie-"

"Need a hand?" They greeted, hefting the trunks onto the train.

"Thanks." Harry said with a smile.

"We're Fred, and-"

"George Weasley."

Dean spoke up. "I'm Dean Thomas, and this is my friend Harry Potter."

The red heads glanced at Harry in surprise. Harry blushed. "Come on Dean!" He squeaked, and got onto the train. The two of them got on, and Harry gave his friend a mock glare. "Tell everyone, why don't you?"

Dean chuckled, and they found an empty compartment relatively easy. They sat down, and Harry put his bag beside him. "I should just read a book and ignore you."

Dean laughed. "You won't. You like me too much."

Harry waggled his eyebrows, and then was distracted when he heard his name outside the window. It was the red heads.

"Mum, you'll never guess who we met! Harry Potter!"

The girl gasped. "Really? Wow! Mum, can I go see him?"

"You already did, ickle Ginny, that was the boy we helped get through the platform."

"Oh, poor dear, that's why his parents…" Mrs. Weasley shook her head, and looked to her daughter. "He's not a sideshow attraction, honey, it's rude to stare."

She turned to Ron, and wiped his face. "Gerroff, Mum-"

"Do be kind to the other children, Ron, and make sure you eat properly-"

"You've got a fangirl." Dean said, snickering. Harry made a face, turning away.

"Ugh."

"I wonder if you've got any fanboys." Dean said with a smirk.

Harry smiled. "Well, if I do, I hope they're cute at least."

* * *

Yay! Like it so far? Please review!

So...Harry's a big flirt. I wonder how everyone's going to handle it...particularly one Mr. Snape. As he's a big flirt, and he's never been one for monogamy before...vote for pairings!

Dean is DEFINITELY straight. He and Harry are just friends, who like to tease each other...alot. I've got a couple of girls in mind for him, but let me know your ideas.


	3. Chapter 3

Here you go... loved the reviews, naturally. I'm glad you're liking this so much!

* * *

As the train began to roll, the two first years settled in. Dean began to draw in a notebook, while Harry began to read. There was a knock on their door, and Ron Weasley popped his head in. His eyes lingered on Harry slightly.

"Um…mind if I sit with you guys? Everywhere else is full."

Harry and Dean exchanged a look. It was a blatant lie, but they weren't going to turn the boy away. "Sure." Dean said, and moved his stuff so that Ron could sit.

Harry glanced at the boy, and then back down at his book, continuing to read about potions.

"So, um, I'm Ron. Ron Weasley. What were your names again?"

"Dean Thomas."

"Harry Potter." Harry said, glancing up from his book again.

"Um…have you got the scar?"

Harry gave him a slight glare. That was a bit rude. "Yes." He said flatly. "So, those were all your brothers and sisters?"

Ron nodded, making a face. "I've got six older brothers, and one younger sister."

Dean spoke up. "I've got five brothers. I'm the oldest, though. Is everyone in your family Magic?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah. Well, I've got a second cousin that's an accountant, but we don't' talk about him." He paused, and Harry and Dean exchanged an incredulous look. "My Dad works at the Ministry of Magic. Bill works for Gringott's in Egypt, as a cursebreaker, while Charlie works with Dragons in Romania. Percy's a prefect this year. So, um, how do you guys know each other?"

"We're neighbors. We've known each other for years." Harry said, setting his book down. It was clear that he wasn't going to be able to read. "So…you're a first year too?"

Ron nodded. "I hope I get into Gryffindor. It's the best House ever! All my brothers are sorted there. What about you guys?"

"We grew up in the muggle world. We don't know much about them." Dean said. They had read things, and Harry had told Dean what the Professor had said, but they were trying to keep an open mind.

"Well, Gryffindor is the best- Headmaster Dumbledore went there. Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, and courageous. Um…the Ravenclaws are supposed to be wicked smart, and the Hufflepuffs are a bunch of poofs, if you ask me."

Harry blinked in surprise. He wasn't aware that the wizarding world had taken on muggle slang. But that sort of made sense, since they had muggleborns. "Poofs?"

"Yeah, they're all really stupid and stuff."

Harry stifled a smile. This boy obviously had heard this sentiment elsewhere. "Um, do you know what Poof means?"

"Yeah Weasley, don't you know what Poof means?" A light haired boy spoke up from the doorway snidely.

Harry looked over the boy quickly- he was clearly from a wealthy family- thought highly of himself. He shopped from Knockturne as well, he recognized those shoes.

"Yeah, I know what that means!" Ron said, eyes narrowed at the boy. "_You._"

The boy laughed, and it wasn't friendly. "You're an idiot Weasley, just like the rest of your family. And who are you?" He looked over them both with a practiced eye.

Dean spoke first. "Dean Thomas."

The boy's lips pursed. "Ah, a muggleborn." He said distastefully. He turned to Harry. "Are you one as well?"

Harry frowned, and Ron spoke up. "That's Harry Potter." He said proudly. "Now, go away Malfoy!"

The boy, Malfoy, rose a brow, and Harry noted that the boy even had henchmen. Two hulking boys that were trying to look menacing. He'd seen worse.

Harry lent back in his seat, and crossed his legs. "Boys, there's no need to fight. Your name?" He asked the blonde calmly.

The boy smirked. "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. We've got room in our compartment, you don't need to sit with riffraff like Weasley and…muggleborns."

Harry looked at him thoughtfully. Although Draco Mafloy looked visibly calm and collected, his eyes told another story. "Thank you for your offer." He looked to Dean, and then to Ron. Ron looked apoplectic.

"However, I've been friends with Dean for several years now. If you extended the invitation to him, I'd be happy to sit with you."

Malfoy rose a brow, and glanced at his henchmen, who looked a bit perplexed.

"Oh, alright. We've got plenty of room."

Harry and Dean both stood, and Harry put his book into his bag. Dean closed his sketchbook, and Ron looked at the other boys.

"You're…leaving?"

"Just for a while." Harry said with a sweet smile. "It was nice to meet you Ron. I'm sure we'll see each other around." And with that, he shut the door behind them.

As he followed Malfoy and his two…friends, Harry and Dean had a silent conversation.

'Was that the smartest thing to do?' Dean asked tilting his head.

Harry gave him a slight nod and a pleased smile. 'We've got to keep our options open.'

They followed the boys to the end of the train, nearly, where they arrived to a rather large compartment.

On one side sat girls, on the other, boys.

Draco smiled, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Potter, this is Crabbe and Goyle, and these lovely girls here are Parkinson, Bulstrode, Li, and McDougal. The boys here are Nott and Zabini."

Draco motioned to Harry and then Dean. "Everyone, this is Harry Potter, and his friend Dean Thomas." He said politely.

"Thomas? I don't think I've heard that Name before." Parkinson said, eyeing him.

"I'm a muggleborn." Dean said, quietly daring anyone to say anything. No one did. Harry and Dean sat at the end of the boy's bench, while Crabbe and Goyle were subjected to the floor.

"So, Potter-" Draco started, and Harry interrupted.

"Please, call me Harry."

Draco blinked. "Er…right. So…Harry, how do you know Thomas?"

"We're neighbors. We've known each other several years now." Harry said with a slight smile.

"So…you lived in the muggle world?" McDougal asked, making a face.

Harry and Dean both nodded. "I quite like it. I like Diagon Alley and Knockturne just as much, if not more, though."

"You've…been to Knockturne?" Draco asked, raising a brow.

Harry nodded. "I've taken Dean there too, after I visited. I love the shops there." He showed off his shoes gleefully. "I got my shoes there. I notice you do too." Harry said with a smile.

Draco blinked. "Er…yes."

"It doesn't bother you?" Li asked quietly.

Dean spoke up. "It's not that bad. We've seen worse. We live in a tough neighborhood."

"Filthy muggles." McDougal hissed.

Harry and Dean exchanged a look. "So…I'm…looking forward to Potions class." Harry said lamely, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I am as well. Of course, I should be, considering Severus tutored me during the holidays." Draco said pompously.

"Oh, you know Severus too?" Harry asked with a smile, thinking of the dark haired man.

Draco looked at him oddly. "Yes…he's my Godfather. How do you know him?"

Harry waved it off, hiding his surprise. He'd thought the man was a bit younger- he couldn't possibly imagine Severus with a Godson, especially a Godson like this spoiled prat. "He helped me with my shopping. He showed me how to choose ingredients for potions. He's very smart."

Draco nodded, looking at him carefully. "Yes, he is."

There was a knock at the door, and trolly lady came by with a cart of candy. While some of the children raided the cart, Harry went over to sit by Parkinson, to admire her charm bracelet.

"What a lovely bracelet!"

The girl smiled. "Thank you. My Father gave it to me last week, to celebrate me going to Hogwarts."

"That was nice of him. May I see?"

The girl held out her arm, and he studied it carefully. "White gold, with amethysts and rose quartz…very pretty."

"Er…yes." The girl said, catching his eye. She blushed suddenly, and looked down at her lap, lowering her arm.

As the kids munched on their candy, Harry took his place next to Dean once more. Dean handed over a lolly with a smirk. "Dare you."

"Dare what?" Zabini said, looking up from his newest Chocolate frog card.

Harry sighed, and took the lolly from Dean. "It's a trick I can do. Dean just dared me to do it. It's not that big of a deal."

"Magic trick?" Bulstrode asked.

Harry shook his head, blushing. "No. Watch."

He stuck the lolly in his mouth, wrapper and all. All the children could see was his mouth moving slightly, and that the stick of the lolly was moving about, but that was all. Finally, a few moments later, he took the lolly out, and the wrapper, separately.

Everyone stared at him with wide eyes. "How did you do that?" Nott asked.

Dean laughed, and Harry started to laugh as well, swatting the taller boy's arm. "It's nothing. It just takes practice."

"Lots of practice." Dean said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Dean!" Harry hissed, giggling.

The other children obviously didn't get it.

"So…um, you guys know any spells yet?" McDougal asked.

The others began talking about all the spells that they knew, while Harry and Dean listened.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one."

"Ew, I would lose it too, if I were you, Longbottom." Parkinson said.

Harry frowned, noting the boy's tearful expression, and the angry expression on the bushy haired girl's face. He stood.

"I'll help you look. I'm good at finding things."

The girl beamed at him, and Dean stood too. "I'll help."

"Wait, that's a muggleborn, Potter." Draco hissed at him. "And the Squib."

Harry raised a brow. "Do I look like I care?" He and Dean left the compartment, and helped the first years search for the toad.

They still hadn't found it, and they were nearly at the school. "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Neville Longbottom." The round faced boy smiled at them shyly.

Harry returned his smile. "This is my friend Dean Thomas, and I'm Harry Potter. Nice to meet you both."

Hermione and Neville looked at Harry wide eyed for a moment. "You're in…_Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_!" the girl squeaked.

Harry made a face. "All speculation, as far as I can tell. Well, I'm sorry we couldn't help you find your toad, Neville."

"Um…that's alright. Er…why were you sitting with Malfoy and his lot anyways?" Neville asked, and then blushed, as though he wasn't supposed to talk.

Harry shrugged. "They asked. Well, Dean and I need to get changed. We'll see you around!" Harry said cheerfully.

Harry stood in line, waiting to be sorted. The Great Hall looked wonderfully magical, however, all the people staring at him were distracting. Everyone knew who he was now, and he knew that for the next couple of weeks or so, they would continue to stare. He ignored them all.

As they moved on to the P's, Parkinson was sorted into Slytherin, then Padma Patil was sorted into Ravenclaw. Her twin sister, Parvati, was sorted into Gryffindor- and then it was Harry's turn.

He ignored the whispers and further stares that accompanied his name, and sat on the stool. The hat was placed on his head.

_Hello Mr. Potter. _

_Er…hello._

_What an interesting life you've led…ah, don't worry, I can't tell anyone a thing. Hmm…interesting. I see you haven't the slightest idea of where to go. You don't want to be separated from your friend, but at the same time, you are willing to make your own way…hmm…very interesting. _

_Well? _

_You could be Great in Slytherin. You've got cunning, ambition…and more than your share of secrets. However…you are incredibly brave. _

_I want to be in Slytherin, I think. I want to be known for more than just what I did as a baby. _

_Well, if you're quite sure, you shall belong in _SLYTHERIN!

Everyone seemed to be absolutely shocked. Harry handed over the hat to a wide eyed McGonagall, and went to the Slytherin table. Suddenly, they burst into applause, realizing that they had gotten another first year. Harry noted that Malfoy had scooted over, making room for Harry at his right side.

Harry sat next to him, giving him a small smile.

"Congratulations Harry." Draco said, smirking at him. Harry gave him a slight nod, and watched the rest of the first years be sorted. His attention soon wandered, and he glanced up at the Staff table, his eyes falling to the man at the very end.

Severus Snape gave him the smallest of nods, which made Harry feel very pleased for some reason. He glanced over to the other staff members. Who he assumed to be Dumbledore, the Gandalf lookalike that seemed to sit on a golden throne, was frowning slightly, staring at the glass in front him.

Dumbledore wasn't happy about something. Because he was sorted into Slytherin? Hmm.

Dean sat nervously on the stool. He could tell a number of people had been displeased that his friend had been sorted into Slytherin-

_Hello Mr. Thomas. No, don't be alarmed, no one can hear me, except for you…hmm. Mr. Potter is close to you. You're divided. You wish to be placed with him, to look after him…but you feel you don't belong in that House…why?_

_Well…I'm a muggleborn, for one thing._

_And that matters how? _

_They don't like muggleborns there_

_Well, have you thought about changing that?_

_I'm not on some stupid quest to change the world, you stupid hat. I've got enough shit going on. Now, are you going to sort me or what?_

_Hmmm…well, straight to the point, I see. Well, before I do that, I suggest you talk to Professor Snape about Gary and the boys. He could get the boys into safer homes. _

_Er…thanks._

_You're quite welcome. Well, I think you and Mr. Potter shall remain friends in whatever House you are placed in. After all, you will do quite well in Gryffindor, little thief._

_Hey!_

_It is true, is it not? You are certainly brave, and those Gryffindors are too oblivious to think one from their own House would steal from them. _

_But…er…_

_Oh, I know exactly what you plan on doing, Mr. Thomas. I could hardly subject the Hufflepuffs to your trickery, and the Ravenclaws would find you out right away, as would the Slytherins. No, the Gryffindors will suit you just might even get a few friends who have similar interests.  
_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Dean handed the hat over to McGonagall, and glanced over to Harry. Harry gave him a wink, and Dean knew everything would be fine. He walked over to the cheering Gryffindor table, and sat next to Neville and Hermoine.

Neville fiddled with his napkin, giving him a small smile, while Hermione beamed at him. "Too bad Harry wasn't sorted here as well." Hermione said.

Dean shook his head. "No, I think Slytherin is perfect for Harry. He'll be fine."

"But…aren't you friends?" Neville asked.

"Yeah? We're still friends." Dean said, glanced over at the Slytherin table. Harry made a face at him, and he made a face back.

Harry found out that he and Malfoy had their own rooms when they had gone down to the dungeons. The others had to share. He hadn't been in his room five minutes before there was a knock on his door.

He opened it, and looked expectantly at Malfoy. The boy smiled. "I'm bored." He pushed past Harry, and made himself comfortable on the boy's bed.

Harry looked at him incredulously, and closed the door. He started to unpack. Draco watched him lazily.

"Have you already written your guardians? I've already written my father."

"No. Not yet. I suppose your Father will be pleased you've gotten sorted into Slytherin?"

Draco nodded. "I'll see them this weekend. The fireplaces are open to floo calls on the weekends for us Slytherins."

Harry didn't know what a floo call was, but he would find out.

"Perhaps you'd like to meet Mother and Father. The others in our House have met them already, at our parties and things. I'm sure they would love to meet you."

Harry was quiet as he continued to unpack. His cover, that he was in the care of a Foster family, wasn't going to last long if everyone was this nosy. He set his books out on his desk, and then he turned, putting his hands on his hips.

"Draco, I'm glad that you came by to chat, but I must be getting ready for bed soon. I shall see you in the morning, yes?"

Draco's brow raised, and he got off the bed. "Of course. Big day tomorrow." He glanced at Harry's things. "If you need to borrow any books or things, let me know. I have plenty."

"And in return?" Harry asked. He'd already figured out that Draco didn't lend anything to anyone without something in return.

The boy smirked. "Walk with me into the Great Hall tomorrow. And let me escort you to your classes. You see, I've been to the castle before, on account of Severus being my Godfather. You shan't get lost with me."

Harry looked at the boy perceptively. It seemed like a nice offer, but Harry knew that if he allowed Draco's manipulation, Draco would instantly be seen as a 'friend' of Harry's. Harry saw through it instantly. He couldn't allow this to happen.

"Thank you for your offer, Draco." Harry said sweetly, moving forward to touch the boy slightly on the arm. He could see Draco's eyes become wary, and his arm shifted away slightly from his touch.

"Perhaps you could escort _all _of us first year slytherins. After all, there is strength in numbers, don't you think? I'm sure the others would be very appreciative as well…" He trailed off, knowing that the cunning boy would now be thinking of how he could manipulate the others in exchange for his 'help'.

Tomorrow, Harry would make Draco believe that it had been his idea to lead all of them along, and Harry would have the buffer he needed.

A slow smile spread on Draco's face. "Yes, I do believe we would make a rather impressive looking group, all of us coming in together like that." He eyed Harry's robes.

"I do hope you'll clean up a little, tomorrow."

Harry bit his lip, leaning forward, touching the boy's arm just slightly. Draco didn't move away this time, but Harry could tell he wanted to. "Well, I mean, since you're so well dressed, perhaps you could give me some tips?" He asked meekly.

"Of course! Well, your hair is okay, but perhaps you should pull it back. Father has long hair, and he does that." Draco leant forward, as though he was telling Harry a big secret. "I only say this because I'm your friend, but I would suggest that you straighten a bit of that curl out…it makes you look a little…"

"What?" Harry asked innocently. He knew exactly what it made him look like, and he wasn't going to change that.

"Well, a little girly. I mean, no offense-"

"None taken." Harry said with a soft laugh. "Now, I suppose it's inexcusable for a Slytherin's shirt to be untucked, or wrinkled- and the same goes for the robes?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, quite right."

"And the buttons are to be buttoned all the way? Tie tied tight?"

"Yes. Of course. You would just look silly, otherwise."

Harry knew very well that he would not look silly if he had unbuttoned a few of his buttons, or left his tie loosened, but he supposed Draco hadn't been taught the fine art of seduction just yet.

Well, Harry was supposed to be a student. Not a whore. Not anymore. He kept reminding himself that he wasn't out to seduce anyone…but it was hard. He would try his best.

He gave the boy a warm smile. "Thank you for the advice, Draco. I'll be sure to do all of that in the morning."

Well, the following morning, Harry tried his best to keep his uniform like he said he would. Nothing was wrinkled or unkempt looking, his buttons were buttoned all the way up, and his Slytherin necktie was tied tight around his neck. He tugged on it with a sultry smile, and then smoothed it down, shaking his head. Bad Harry! No tugging on the tie!

He'd pulled back his hair, but it refused to behave properly, tendrils of flyaway curls fell about his face and neck, his hair in a loose bun, rather than a ponytail. He thought it was rather cute, actually.

He scrunched up his nose at his robes. He'd seen students without them last night…could he just…yes. He would leave them off. He was still in uniform, without the robes. He would wear them when the weather grew colder. He made sure his shoelaces were tied tight, and his shirt was tucked in properly.

He checked the mirror again, itching to put a bit of makeup on, but he shook his head forcefully. No. He was going to be good. He finally walked out of his room, and went to the common room to meet his housemates.

Older students were there already, glancing his way as he sat down primly on one of the settees. It didn't take long for Zabini and Nott to come out, and then Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. Harry noticed that Zabini had gone without his robes as well, and when the girls came out, he noticed that both Tracey and Pansy had forgone their robes too. He didn't feel so awkward about not wearing his robes now.

He noticed Pansy had been a bit liberal with her makeup- he could tell she hadn't used it much before. As the others started to get ready to leave, he pulled her aside, hanging back in the group.

"Pansy, I can call you that, right?" He asked, touching her hand slightly.

"Of course Harry." The girl said curiously, glancing down at the touch.

"Well, I noticed your makeup today, and I wanted to say that you looked very pretty-"

Pansy gushed. "Thank you! It's a new spell I tried out."

Spell? There were makeup spells? Of course there were. There were spells for everything, apparently. He would certainly look into that.

Harry coughed. "Well, I don't want to be mean, but perhaps you could do it by hand, until you get the hang of the spell. I mean, you look pretty, so you really don't need all that heavy makeup." He whispered quietly.

The girl blinked at him, a slow blush spreading on her face. "Oh."

She looked thoughtful. "…Thank you Harry. I'll keep that in mind."

On the way to the Great Hall, the girls had to go to the loo for an 'emergency'. Draco was admadant that they all come in as a group- he had the boys convinced, so they waited outside the loo for the girls.

Harry gave Pansy a thumbs up as she came out of the loo, looking much better. She blushed, and the other girls giggled. By their glances at him, it was pretty obvious they had been talking about him in the loo.

The group entered the Great Hall together, and as Harry knew it would, many eyes went to them. He'd subtly arranged it that he stood slightly behind Draco, at his right, alongside Zabini and Crabbe. He wasn't in the front, but he wasn't completely hidden either, so people could think he was just a hanger-on in the back.

Draco, of course, was front and center, smirking broadly. He believed he was in charge, and that was what Harry wanted.

He saw Dean over at the Gryffindor table, and Dean gave him a slight grin and wave, and he returned it wildly. Draco fixed him with an icy look, but Harry didn't care. He wasn't going to lose Dean as a friend over stupid politics. They'd been through too much crap together for that to happen. He followed the others to the Slytherin table, and sat at Draco's right, with Zabini on his other side.

The mail arrived, and Harry's eyes caught sight of the front of Zabini's Daily Prophet.

"Fucking hell." He cursed softly, earning a shocked look from more than one Slytherin. He had every right to curse, as his name was Headline news.

_HARRY POTTER, BOY WHO LIVED, IN SLYTHERIN _

Harry suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. He ate mechanically, only because he had to. Conversation was quiet that breakfast, his yearmmates recognizing that Harry wasn't in the mood for it. Snape came by with the schedules, and as Harry's eyes met Severus', the man gave him a slight tilt of the head.

Harry accepted the schedule from the man, lips thinning. He had been shoved under this spotlight…he was just going to have to deal with it. Use it to his advantage. He slid the paper into his pocket, lowering his eyes. He got the feeling Snape knew exactly what he was going to do…and by the man's smirk, Harry could tell he somehow approved, in a twisted sort of way.

* * *

Yay, another chapter is finished! What will happen next...hmmm...

Continue with the pairings vote- keep in mind that Harry might not necessarily always be with guys... he's always up for experimenting. ;)

::types away, cackling madly::


	4. Chapter 4

Warning: Graphic stuff ahead. You have been warned. Now that you have been warned...have fun!

* * *

Classes were…interesting. The classes themselves were boring- the teacher usually going off an theory- the practical bits were easy. Most of the time, Harry took the time to study his classmates. He usually sat in the last row so he could see everyone, even though Malfoy clearly wanted him up in front with him.

They had Transfiguration and Herbology with the Ravenclaws. They were an okay lot- very attentive in class, most of the time. They seemed pretty smart, trying to answer the Professor's questions and earn points for their House. Some of the boys seemed pretty snobby- and they would have totally been ripped off in Harry's neighborhood. There was a girl there- Padma, who had a twin in Gryffindor. The girls were very, very pretty, and more than one boy's head turned as they saw them, even if they were young.

For Charms and Defense, they had classes with the Hufflepuffs. He recognized that Susan Bones would be quite pretty when she got older, and that she took to the Defense spells pretty easily. He'd heard that her Aunt was head of the DMLE- or Department of Law Enforcement. He reckoned that he and Dean be on their best behavior around this girl. She was pretty friendly was Hannah Abbot, another cutie that seemed to be developing rather early. The boys of Hufflepuff were rather immature, but he noted some of the older ones that he'd seen at dinner were CUTE. He'd just keep an eye on them for now.

Gryffindors were typically a rambunctious lot. The Slytherins made fun of Hermione Granger for knowing every question (some of the Gryffindors did too). She seemed to ignore their jibes and laughter for the most part, writing down notes furiously while they were listening to the teacher lecture. Ron was…an idiot, to put it lightly. He was definitely a comic-relief, and Harry knew that if he needed a distraction of some kind, Ron would be the guy to go to.

If the twins were any indication, Ron could be pretty cute when he got older- but one doesn't grow out of stupidity. He would just have to wait and see.

Dean had actually hit it off well with Seamus- another troublemaker in the making. Seamus was the youngest of five, and the only boy. So, of course, he acted out and hammed it up to get attention. And Harry could already tell that Seamus would be quite the ladies man if he ever listened to his sisters' advice. He also had that adorable Irish accent going for him, and that cute smile.

So, Harry hung out with Dean and Seamus in the back of the classroom, next to Millicent Bulstrode, who had been practically shoved to the back by the other girls.

Harry felt a little sorry for her. She wasn't exactly pretty, but that wasn't her fault- just genetics. As soon as he figured out these makeup spells and things he'd heard about, he was going to convince her to get a makeover.

On Friday, the Slytherins only had Potions, with Severus. Harry was looking forward to this class quite a bit. A large majority of the students thought of Severus as the Greasy Bat of the Dungeons, who was in a perpetually pissed off mood, and failed anyone who wasn't a Slytherin.

Well, Harry was a Slytherin, but he wasn't about to test his luck with the man. Yeah, they seemed to hit it off when they'd gone shopping, but from what he'd seen during mealtimes, the man acted _completely_ different at the school.

Harry decided to sit next to Draco for potions, hoping that if they were paired together, they might not have as much trouble. He fidgeted in his seat next to the blonde, who was studying his nails.

"I'm going to need to get my nails redone. Perhaps this weekend." The boy muttered to himself.

Harry glanced his way, raising a brow. He shook his head, glancing over the rest of the classroom. Neville was safely on the other side of the room- no explosions were coming near him. Neville had already gotten the reputation of being quite clumsy, so he didn't want to get involved in that. At least not during potions.

The students went silent as the door slammed open, earning everyone's attention. Snape stalked into the room, and Harry's eyes went round as he…felt something tightening in his pants. Holy fuck. Now?

Snape drew his robes around him, crossing his arms over his chest. He spoke softly- no one dared even to breathe loudly. Harry's hands clasped each other over his groin, tightening their grasp, keeping his eyes on his teacher. God…why now? Why must the puberty monster arrive_ now_?

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began, his voice like silk. Harry felt his face warm up slightly at the tone. God…

"I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses."

Power. Liquids. Creeping. Sensessss…..Harry swallowed. This was going to be really hard...er bad choice, this was going to be a really tough class, if he had to deal with this every time he sat down in this classroom.

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Severus ended sharply, his hooded eyes falling to the Gryffindors. His gaze then flicked to Harry, and Harry's eyes fell to the desk in front of him, blushing.

God, why now?

The man began to call attendance, and Harry did his best to try to calm himself down. He knew exactly what was happening. He had an erection. He'd _seen_ plenty of them in his short life, but having his _own_ was an entirely different thing. H e knew to expect it within the next year or so, but…in the middle of class?

In the middle of_ his_ class? Did Fate hate him or what?

"Potter."

Harry straightened up instantly. "Huh?"

His classmates giggled, and Severus' gaze hardened. Harry swallowed. "Sorry, sir. Present."

Severus frowned. "I expect your attention, Mr. Potter. It would not do to fail one of my own Slytherins." He said, narrowing his eyes.

Harry fought to keep from dropping his gaze. He felt as though the man was looking right through him…if anything, his pants were tightening even more…fuck, he should have worn those robes! Those narrowed eyes widened slightly, and the man looked down to the attendance sheet.

"Thomas."

Dean glanced at Harry. "Present."

"Weasley."

"Here." Ron said nervously.

After an excruciating lecture, they were to begin their practical lesson. As the other students began to get their cauldrons out and get their supplies, Harry raised his arm.

Snape eventually looked at him, and raised a brow. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Could I please go to the loo, sir?" Harry asked quickly.

Snape gave him a Look. "Yes. Be back in five minutes. I expect you to stay after for whatever time you miss."

Harry rushed out of the room, hoping no one noticed his state. He ran down the hallway, not caring if the portraits were yelling at him to slow down. He ran into the loo, and undid his pants as soon as he got into a stall, slamming the door behind him.

His pants fell around his knees, and he pulled down his underwear quickly, and fisted his cock. He groaned, eyes closing. God, he'd been touched before, but it felt so different when it was like this…his hand was a blur as he stroked himself, thinking about silky voices and dark eyes that seemed to see right through him.

He gasped as he came into his hand, spunk spurting all over it. He trembled as he gathered some tissue paper, wiping it all off. He made sure he was clean, and his hands were clean, before he came back to class. His knees were shaky as he slumped back to his seat. He didn't dare look Severus in the eye.

Draco glanced at him. "I've got some of the ingredients cut. You better cut some too, or you'll get detention."

Harry's knife nearly slipped.

Harry knew he had to stay after class to make up what time he'd missed. He slowly packed his things up. Snape was at his desk, looking at papers.

"Potter." He froze, in the middle of putting things in his bag.

"Next time, deal with your…issues before class."

Harry blushed, looking down- somehow, the man had known. He put his quill in his bag, and walked towards the front. "I'm sorry. It's just…I…I never felt that….I completely panicked." He mumbled.

"You're still to come here tomorrow morning. Don't forget." He said, not looking up from his things.

"I won't." Harry peered at him. "How…er…did you know that was my problem?"

"I've been at this school for twenty years, Mr. Potter, including my own time here as a student. Believe me, you're not the first student."

"But…during _your_ class?"

Harry blushed instantly, dropping his eyes to the floor. Severus' quill hesitated. He could feel the man looking at him. Harry raised his eyes slowly.

Severus was eyeing him in an all-too-familiar way. He suddenly looked away, clearing his throat. "Mr. Potter, like I said before. Deal with your…problems before class. If I find you distracted, and inattentive, I will give you Detention."

With Harry's mind still in the gutter, he twitched.

"With Filch." The man added, seeing his expression. "Go. Now." He growled.

Harry nodded quickly, and sped out of the room.

No. He could not seduce his Potions Professor, _no matter how easy it would be, _his mind supplied.

No, he was going to be a good boy, and…fuck, fuck, this is NOT a good idea. He ran down the corridor, bag banging against his hip along the way, and he arrived to the Slytherin Common room.

His yearmmates were there, looking up at him curiously. Harry blushed, seeing Draco's inquisitive look. This was Draco's Godfather! Fuck, he COULD NOT do this. He waved to them weakly, and practically sprinted to his room.

He locked his door behind him, and dropped his bag to the floor, and pulled his pants down for the second time that afternoon. He was never, ever going to forget that man's speech, not with him practically chanting it word for word under his breath. He kicked off his pants, and pulled down his panties around his knees, stroking himself once more.

"Simmering…ugh…liquids…gasp…ensnaring the s-s-senses…Gods, Sir…" He groaned.

* * *

That evening, Harry was lying in his bed, feeling quite exhausted. He could see why all those men looked as though they wanted to take a nap afterwards. His hands and cock were raw after touching himself so many times. He sighed, rolling onto his back. He was completely naked, after sullying his uniform with his cum. It was so strange, to think of it that way. He'd never ejaculated before- no matter how many times those men tried to get him to do so. He made a face. He did not want to go through puberty...he quite liked the way he was, thank you very much!

He glared at his ceiling slightly, thinking of all that icky, messy hair, those horrible blemishes, and those squawking, embarrassing voice changes. He sighed. He knew, by the end of all this...puberty mess, he could actually become tall. And have big muscles. Now, in a way, it could be appealing, but in another way it wasn't. He wouldn't feel...pretty. His eyes started to burn, and he turned into his covers, burying his face in them. He was NOT going to cry over this, he wasn't!

He sniffled, and there was a knock at his door. "Harry? Can we come in?"

Pansy. He wiped his face quickly. "Just give me a second." He shoved his clothes under his bed, and pulled on a shift and a dressing robe. Hopefully, he could just let them think he wasn't feeling well. He ran a hand through his hair, and tied his robe shut. He opened the door, and saw Pansy, Draco, and Daphne standing there. He sighed.

"Harry...I know you're upset about the Professor getting on to you...he yelled at you, didn't he?" Draco asked.

Harry couldn't meet their gazes. He allowed them inside, and sat on the end of his bed. It would have been so easy if Snape had just been mean to him from the start. If he hated the man, he couldn't be attracted to him, right?

"I know...I'm moping. I just...didn't want the others to see." Harry said quietly.

Pansy squeezed his arm. "Things will be just fine, you'll see! Sooner or later, the Gryffindors will do something really stupid in class, and he won't even think about yelling at you!"

Harry sighed. Draco sat next to him on his bed. "If he was any other teacher, I'd just tell Father, and he'd fix things right up! He knows you're my friend. But as it's Severus, I can't exactly do that. But...like I said, any other teacher, and he'd fix them, like that!" He snapped his fingers.

Harry glanced at the boy. "Er...thanks."

Draco grinned. Daphne looked around his room, her eyes flicking to his dresser, dressing table, and what he was wearing. His dressing robe was a pale blue silk, and he hadn't been planning on having anyone see it. He pulled it around himself tighter, feeling uncomfortable.

"So, I'm going to floo call my parents tonight. Do you want to meet them?" Draco asked.

Harry's eyes went round. "Er..."

"I've already made an appt. for 7:30, after dinner, so if you want to come with me, you can. Er, of course, you'll need to change."

"Of course." Harry said, blushing.

Pansy picked up a shirt he'd dropped on the floor by his dresser. It was a pale green button down shirt with a peter pan collar and cap sleeves. "This is so cute! I've never seen a shirt like this before...did you get it at Twillfitt and Tattings?"

A smile spread on Harry's face. "That's a muggle shirt. I got it in London."

The girl held it out by her fingertips instantly, looking at it distastefully. Daphne rolled her eyes, and took the shirt, holding it up. "It's nice. You should wear it when you see Draco's parents."

Apparently wizards had no idea that that was a girl's muggle shirt. Harry suddenly felt very happy for some reason. He stood, taking the shirt from the girl. "I think I will!"

* * *

Harry followed Draco and Pansy into the Great Hall, wearing his green shirt with a nice pair of pants and shoes he'd gotten from Knockturne. He'd also paired the shirt with a button up sweater. Several heads turned as he walked past, but he ignored them. He was getting used to the stares. He flicked his hair over his shoulder, smiling at his Housemates as he sat down.

Crabbe paused in stuffing his face. "Look Nice." Then he continued to gorge himself.

Harry smiled. "Thank you Vincent." He gave a Look to Draco. Draco had wanted him to pull back his hair again, but he'd managed to convince the boy that that was only suitable for classes. Draco rolled his eyes.

After dinner, Harry joined Draco in line outside Professor Snape's office. Many of the other first years, and a few older students too, were going to be flooing their parents that night. Harry fiddled with the button on his sweater as the two boys stepped up in line.

"I think you'll like Mother. She's very nice. And Pretty. Father's very smart- maybe he'll show you the library!" Draco said with a smile.

Harry returned the smile, his nervousness rising. He was well aware by now that the Malfoys had been involved in Deatheater activities- he'd found out what he could about his Housemates over the past week. But...how better to find out about his possible enemies than the source themselves? He straightened his bangs as they were allowed into Severus' office.

It was connected to the classroom, and there were shelves fully of slimy things on the walls, with a desk in the middle of the room. Severus was standing by the fireplace, holding a jar of floo powder. His eyes flicked to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, I was not aware that you were accompanying Mr. Malfoy to see his parents."

"Mum and Dad said it was alright." Draco said. "I wrote them earlier this week."

Severus' lips thinned. "How kind of them to inform me." He glanced to the clock on the wall. "You are to be back within the hour. If you are not back, I will come get you myself." He stared hard at Harry.

Harry gave him a slight nod, still unable to look him in the eye. "Mr. Potter." The man said sharply. "Look at me." Harry looked up at him, trying his best to keep from blushing. "Next time, if you want to visit a friend's parents, please let me know before hand. As your Guardians cannot give you permission, it is up to me to allow you to go or not. Understand?"

Harry nodded.

"Go." He held out the jar to them.

Draco tossed a handful of it into the fireplace, and the flames turned green. Harry watched him speak clearly into the flames. "Malfoy Manor. Password: Slytherins are Stupendous."

Harry stifled a smile, but it was quickly replaced by shock as the boy walked right into the flames, and disappeared.

"Mr. Potter."

Harry grabbed a bit of the powder, and threw it in. "Malfoy Manor. Slytherins are Stupendous?"

He was whisked away, and was spit out onto an Oriental rug. He tripped slightly, and would have fell face first if it wasn't for someone catching him. He looked up, and saw Mrs. Malfoy smiling at him charmingly.

"Well, hello dear. Draco told us he was inviting his new friend, but he didn't tell us how pretty you were!" Harry blushed instantly.

"Mum! That's Harry!" Draco hissed.

Harry blushed, pulling away from the woman. He shook her hand, and tried to joke. "Well, I think you're very pretty too, Mrs. Malfoy."

The woman twittered, and her husband wrapped his arm around her. Harry could see that Draco looked like a good mixture of both of them- they were quite the good-looking family. Mrs. Malfoy was wearing a pale blue set of robes that fit her well, while Mr. Malfoy looked imposing in his plum robes. The man's hair was down, and he noted that his hair was just slightly longer than Harry's- but that may have been because it hung straight, rather than Harry's slight curl.

"Welcome to our home, Mr. Potter."

"It's very nice." Harry said, looking around the parlor. It was very fancy. He had no doubt that the rest of the House was just as fancy, if not more.

"Thank you. Now, I know that we have a limited amount of time- shall I take you for a tour while Draco visits with his Mother?"

Harry nodded hesitantly, noting that Mrs. Malfoy was smiling at him encouragingly. He followed Mr. Malfoy out of the parlor, and into a hallway. They passed a series of snooty looking blonde portraits.

"Our ancestors. The Malfoy family has a long history, we came from France back when the Founders were building Hogwarts. Our Family lived in France for over a Millennium...tell me, Mr. Potter, do you know your magical history?"

Harry gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm only a First year sir. And Professor Binns puts everyone to sleep straight away."

The man tutted. "I've been telling Albus, time and time again, to replace him. There are generations of students that are ill-versed in our heritage because of that Professor Binns."

Harry followed the man into a huge looking library. Harry's eyes went round. It was quite large, probably half the size of the Hogwarts library. "Our Library. We have over 580,000 texts here, and many are out of print."

Harry followed him through the shelves, eyeing some books carefully. Nothing _seemed_ too dark. Maybe the rumors were wrong? Or perhaps they hid the darker stuff elsewhere? He glanced to Mr. Malfoy, who was smiling at him.

"I'm so glad that Draco has taken you under his wing. I understand you grew up in the muggle world?"

Harry nodded. "Yes sir." He brushed a finger against the polished leather book spines as he walked down the isle. "I didn't have much of a choice. Apparently the muggles I was sent to live with sent me to an orphanage."

"Oh, how terrible." Mr. Malfoy said, shaking his head. "You deserved much better care. I assume Draco has told you of your proper place within society?"

Harry glanced at him. "Yes. I suppose."

Mr. Malfoy coolly assessed him. "You see, Mr. Potter, whether it's true or not, many people believe you to be the Boy Who Lived. It's a very useful title, if one can use it properly. Being a Slytherin, I'm sure you understand how it could be useful?"

Harry looked to the floor. "I would rather not be noticed. Blend in to the background." He gave the man a slight smirk. "So that way, when I do something...people won't even notice."

Mr. Malfoy's lips spread into a full smirk. "Well, well, Mr. Potter! Quite the devious one, aren't we?" He bent down, taking the boy's face by the chin. "I do wish that other Slytherins would think that way as well." He murmured. He tilted the boy's head, looking at him closely. Harry noted that the man was even more good looking up close- no, he was not supposed to be checking out his friend's Father!

"Good bone structure. I see you've got your Grandmother's cheekbones. She was a Black, you know?"

"A Black?" Harry echoed. He was feeling a bit woozy- why were so many dangerous wizards _so good looking_? He swallowed, breath hitching as the man spoke softly, silvery eyes glowing. He knew that this man was dangerous, yet he'd allowed himself to be alone with him- in this position...what the hell was wrong with him?

"My Wife, Narcissa, is from the Black family. You and Draco are Cousins, after a fashion." He let go of Harry, looking at him considerably. Harry fought to keep from swaying. "We were unaware of your circumstances, Mr. Potter, but...now that we know, perhaps we could help you?"

Harry blinked at him surprise, the effects of his close proximity of the man were wearing off, now that he was stepping away slightly. He was still out of it, considering how he was parroting stupidly after the man. "Help me?"

Mr. Malfoy nodded. "Yes. Now, I must insist that you come to stay with us for the Christmas Holidays. We can get to know each other a bit better then. You are_ family, _after all, and it would only be proper if you stayed with us."

"But..." Harry thought of Dean, shoving the way the thought of this man being_ family._ "I have a friend. We've been through a lot together, and where I go, he goes too."

Mr. Malfoy raised a brow, and Harry fiddled with the button on his sweater, dropping his eyes to the floor. "Dean Thomas. He's a muggleborn. But he's my best friend, I couldn't bear to leave him...there." He shuddered dramatically, hoping he could convince the man. His eyes flicked to Mr. Malfoy's. The man was looking at him concernedly.

"What is it, Mr. Potter? Did something happen?"

Harry swallowed. "Well, we didn't grow up in the best of places. We...lived in a pretty rough neighborhood. I just don't want to leave him there." There, that would be enough, without telling the man everything.

"Oh. Well, let me discuss it with Narcissa. Okay?"

Harry nodded quickly. That was the best he could hope for, considering these Malfoys were Pureblood fanatics. But...if they wanted him so badly, they were just going to have to take Dean too.

* * *

Did anyone do a fangirl squeal like I did? :3

Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Harry and Draco talked that night after they returned to the school.

"So…you wouldn't mind me staying at the Manor with you?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged, stuffing a chocolate into his mouth. His Mother had given him a box on their way out, as well as one to Harry. Draco was currently sprawled across Harry's bed, making his way through the box.

"No. There's plenty of room. Anyways, it's dead boring with me, Mum, Father, and the house elves."

Harry hadn't seen any House elves. These…servants. He guessed that's why the house looked so spotless- Mrs. Malfoy didn't look as though she cleaned much.

"Well…what if Dean came too?"

Draco made a slight face. Harry sat next to him. "I mean, Dean is my best friend. I couldn't possibly leave him with those _muggles_. Perhaps if he stayed at your Manor, we would learn how _proper_ wizards lived."

Draco was smirking by the end of the sentence. "I like how you think, Potter. I'll help Father convince Mum. Did you get to see the library?"

* * *

Harry knocked on Severus' door the next morning. He'd done his best to get _that_ out of his system, first thing, and had a song ready in his head in case he got excited again. Severus was taking time out his busy schedule, and Harry wasn't going to waste the opportunity, especially if he was going to be hanging about dangerous wizards like Malfoy. Even if the man was attractive, he was dangerous. Harry knew he'd have to be careful around Mr. Malfoy.

"Enter."

Harry came into the man's classroom. Severus glanced up from his place at the desk. "The Defense instructor this year is laughable." He greeted. "Get out a quill and some parchment."

That morning, Harry was given a lecture on proper wand handling, care, and how to use his holster effectively. He was also given two basic spells to practice in his own time- the disarming curse, and a simple block.

"I want you to practice these two spells for twenty minutes each day until you get them down perfectly. You can learn all the spells you like, but disarming your opponent is the most important thing you can do to win a duel."

Harry nodded.

Severus tapped his wand to the board, erasing the notes. He looked to the boy expectantly. "Now, what on earth happened last night? You visit the Malfoys, and I get a missive from Lucius asking me if I can look into your Guardians in the muggle world!"

Harry blinked at him with wide eyes. "I…well…Draco told him I lived with muggles. He told me that Mrs. Malfoy was from the Black family, like my Grandmother, which made us Cousins, of a sort. He…thought I could stay with them, because they're family."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" He drawled, fearing the answer.

"Yes."

Severus sighed explosively, dropping his hand to look at Harry incredulously. "Why on earth would you think that, Mr. Potter?"

"Because…if Mr. Malfoy is a Deatheater, like so many of the rumors say he is, what better way is there to learn about him than to live with him?"

Severus advanced at the boy, grabbing his arm, eyes intense. "That is a dangerous game, Mr. Potter. You have no idea what could happen. If Lucius knew of your true intentions…he is a dangerous man. He may have seemed nice and charming last night, but trust me, he wasn't the Dark Lord's right hand man for no reason."

Harry stared up at Severus. Despite the man being in his face, and the grip he had on his arm, Harry wasn't frightened. He was well aware of the dangers he faced.

"And you were the Dark Lord's potions master. Should I be frightened of you as well?" Harry asked coldly. Severus nearly twisted his arm, pulling him up like a rag doll.

"Don't you dare-" His hand raised to smack him across the face, and Harry turned his head away, bracing for impact.

Severus froze in place, mouth dropping slightly. How many times had he seen his Father do this to his Mother? How many times had he promised himself that he would never strike another person this way? He looked to the boy attached to his arm, the way the child clearly knew he was going to be hit…it struck a chord Severus did not like.

He hated himself.

When the smack didn't come, Harry looked up at him. Severus was pale. He let go of Harry's arm instantly. It dropped to the boy's side.

"I…got carried away." The man said softly, backing up a step. "I would never…you're my student."

Harry looked him fully in the eye, unafraid. "I'm not_ just _your student. And you're not_ just_ my teacher. To put it plainly, _Sir_, you and I both know that we could never be strictly-"

"Yes. I. Can." Severus bit out. He did NOT care about the boy, or was attracted to him in _any_ way, no matter what his hormones told him otherwise. He was just a child! He could control himself!

"No you can't. Your reactions to me are plain to see. You're scared, for some reason, that I'll get hurt. If I was just another student, another stranger to you, and you were as dark and evil as you want me to _think_ you are, you wouldn't CARE."

Severus stepped away once more, but Harry advanced, eyes glittering. Severus saw the boy's face slowly transform from the pretty angelic face he normally saw into something hard…cold…dangerous. It looked so strange on a child's body…but it way, it suited him just as much. Severus internally shivered at the boy's wicked look.

"Don't you EVER hit me again. Not like that. If that's what you're _into_, that's fine- but if you're just angry, and looking for a punching bag, I'm not into that shit. I don't need magic to defend myself- don't forget that." Harry jabbed his finger into the man's chest.

Severus stared at the boy. What he was into…what the…of course, with the boy's history, he would know a bit about-

"Mr. Pot-Harry…I should have never done that." Severus said softly, kneeling so that they were at the same height. He then said something that he hadn't said to someone in years. "I'm sorry." He had to say it. He needed the boy to trust him- too much was at stake here.

The cold look softened just slightly. "Are you?" His voice was still flat, emotionless. Harry sounded so different…he longed for the boy to go back to the way he was- this Harry scared him a bit, even if he was intrigued.

He nodded quickly. "You're right. I _was_ concerned for your safety. I shouldn't have struck you-"

"You didn't, though." Harry pointed out, inflection slowly returning to his voice.

"As I was saying, I shouldn't have done that. We should have talked it over…rationally. I just…got carried away." Severus ended lamely. He was talking about rationality with a child! Then again, Harry wasn't a…normal child.

Harry gave him a small flirtatious smile, almost looking like his normal self again. "Getting carried away isn't _so_ bad."

"We still need to discuss the Malfoys, Harry." Severus said with a sigh. He internally hated himself for using the boy's first name, but it had slipped out. Using his first name signified familiarity, and he did NOT want that.

"You were going to teach me how to defend myself magically anyways, right? Tell me how to get out of a tight spot, using magic, and we can call it even."

"It might take some time…"

Harry leant in close, looking at him impishly. "We have the time now, _Professor_."

Severus stood straight, clearing his throat. "Mr. Potter, we will have to maintain a Professional distance. Despite what I know about your…previous activities, you are still my _student_."

Harry sighed. He supposed they should get down to business, and not the fun kind.

* * *

Harry held a book in his arms as he went back to the common room that afternoon. He noted that his classmates were gathered around Nott and Zabini, watching them play a chess match. Well, except for Bulstrode, who was sulking in the corner. He walked over to Bulstrode, giving her a slight smile.

"Hi. Can I sit here?" The girl gave him a dark look.

"What do you want?"

Harry sat next to her on the settee. "Nothing, really, I was just going to read. It's a Defense book that Professor Snape let me borrow. It's rather interesting."

She glanced at the book, and then to their housemates. "Why aren't you with the others?"

"Oh, I don't really know how to play chess. It seems dead boring to me." Harry said with a smile. "Let's get out of here. Want to come to my room?"

She shrugged, and the girl followed him to his room. She glanced around, and then sat at his desk chair. Harry put his book on the end of his bed, and then glanced in his mirror. His hair was a mess. He took his bun out, and pulled it back up. As he did so, he glanced at Millicent.

"So…how did you like your first week at Hogwarts?"

The girl shrugged, looking down at her feet.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"You talk enough for the both of us." She supplied.

Harry giggled slightly, and sat on the end of his bed. "Well…maybe if you were a bit more outgoing, people would talk to you more."

She glared at him slightly.

"I don't mean to be mean or anything. It's just…the truth."

She continued to glare at him. "Are you trying to flirt with me like you did Pansy? Because that won't work."

Harry laughed. "God, you thought I was flirting with her?"

Bulstrode furrowed her brow. "Yeah…all of us did."

Harry shook his head, still giggling. "No, no. Pansy's nice and everything, but…." He scrunched up his nose. "Not my type."

"But she's pretty. Draco and Blaise think so." Bulstrode said softly. "They think Daphne is too."

Harry took the in when he saw it. "Well, I'm sure one of those boys thinks you're pretty too."

Bulstrode frowned. "They call me _Bulkstrode_ behind my back. They always have, since we were little."

Harry sighed. "Well, they're just immature. Most boys are."

"_You're _a boy." She pointed out.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not like them."

Bulstrode shifted in his chair, pulling at her skirt slightly. "My Mum tried to put me on a diet all last year, and this summer, to get ready for Hogwarts. I hated it. And I'm still fat!" She spat.

"I don't think you're fat. Anyways, there are plenty of Rubenesque girls that have got plenty of guys after them."

"Ru-Rubenesque?' The girl asked.

Harry nodded, rummaging through his trunk. "Let me see…I think I've got it here…aha!" He pulled out an art history book he'd filched from the library ages ago.

He opened it, flipping through the pages. He handed it over to the girl, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"They're naked!" She exclaimed, sounding scandalized.

Harry giggled. "Of course they are. That's what they painted back then, all these guys. They got girls to pose naked for them for these paintings, so they could shag them later."

Bulstrode blushed, and Harry noticed she looked prettier when she did that. He nodded to himself. She just needed…something, that's all.

"Harry, the things you say! My Mother would wash out your mouth with a cleaning charm!"

Harry noticed that she looked at the paintings anyways, and started flipping through the book. "Where did you get this anyways?"

"A muggle library."

She made a face, but she didn't toss the book back to him, so he took that as a good sign.

"These women are…beautiful. I could never look like that." She said softly.

"Nonsense. Let me see if I can do something." He stepped up behind her. "If you'll permit me to mess with your hair a bit?"

"Er…just don't do something crazy with it."

"Oh, you'll look fantastic, I promise." Harry said, sliding the plain back headband out of her hair. He carded his hands through her hair. Her hair was brown, cut into a bob, and she usually wore a headband in it to pull it back a bit. He shook his head.

"Don't wear those headbands anymore. Those add more curves to your face and head." He brushed her hair back with his fingers. "I suggest using a conditioner in your hair- it's very nice, but it needs a bit of shine. And instead of letting it hang there, brush it back away from your face."

"But…they'll see my face more."

"That's the point, hon." Harry said, running his hands through the end of her hair, turning them so that it curled about the edges. "Try curling it at the ends- not a lot, but just a bit. Outwards, not inwards."

He pushed down on her shoulders slightly. "Don't tense your shoulders so much…it makes them look bigger. Do you get stressed out a lot?"

She shrugged.

He motioned for her to stand, and he circled her. "Keep that shirt tucked in tight. Keeping it loose and baggy will just make you look heavier."

Harry put his hands on his hips. "And look at those legs! You've got a good set of gams on you, girl!"

Bulstrode looked down at her legs. "I…do?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Show them off a bit by folding those socks down instead of keeping them hiked up like that."

"Erm…okay."

Harry gave her a smile. "You haven't got much curves yet, but hey, not many of the girls in our year do. Just walk with your head held high, and be…confident." He handed the book back to her. "You are pretty, just like those girls in those books. You can borrow the book as much as you like."

Bulstrode looked down at the book in her arms.

"Thank you. You're so nice. I…I thought you were rather silly, at first. But you are nice. Thanks."

"No problem."

The girl fiddled with the cover of the book. "You can call me Millie, if you like."

Harry grinned. "Millie. How cute!"

"That's what my Papa calls me." Millie said with a small smile. "I like it too."

She sat down, flipping through the book some more. Harry began to read his Defense book. They were silent, for a little bit.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Are all boys from the muggle world like you?"

Harry blinked up at her in surprise. "Er…no. Not really."

"Oh. Okay. I was just wondering. I mean, you lived in the muggle world and all…I just wondered." She flipped through a few more pages.

Harry stared at the page in front of him, but couldn't read a word. "I don't think I like girls. That way." He knew if he found the right one, though, he might change his mind- but right now…

She glanced at him in surprise. "Really? You're not even going to marry one?"

Harry fidgeted at the thought of being a grown up and having a wife. Well…he wouldn't mind being Mrs. Severus Snape- he suddenly giggled at the thought, chasing it away with a shake of his head.

"No. I don't want to."

Millie made a face. "I don't want to either. I mean, me marrying a guy. They're icky. And gross. And smelly."

"And hairy." Harry supplied giggling.

"And stupid."

"And make stupid fart jokes."

"And gross!…did we already say that?"

They burst into more giggles.

The following day, Harry greeted Dean brightly as the boy was walking through the corridors with the twins. Millie was with him- they were discussing their latest Charms assignment. The three boys froze, looking as though they'd been caught doing something.

"What are you guys up to?' Harry asked, looking at them suspiciously.

"Um…we should get out of here." Dean grabbed his arm. "Filch will come looking for us any second."

"Dean!" Harry hissed as the Gryffindors ushered the Slytherins into a nearby classroom. They heard Filch walk by, muttering about throttling some students.

"What did you do?" Harry hissed, hands on his hips.

"It wasn't my idea!" Dean said immediately. "And Filch has no idea it was me, I swear!"

"God, he better not, I thought you were going to keep a low profile!" Harry hissed back.

The twins and Millie watched the by-play.

"Er…low profile?" Fred finally asked.

Dean coughed. "Er…I have a penchant for getting into trouble, even in the muggle world. I guess you guys didn't do _all_ the corrupting."

Harry fixed them with a Look, and then sighed, a smile spreading on his face. Those twins were too cute- you couldn't stay mad at them for too long. That was probably how they got away with so much. Useful.

"As long as you don't get caught." Harry hooked his arm through Millie's. "Be good. And don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He blew a kiss to Dean, giving him a wink.

The black boy rolled his eyes, and the twins snickered. As he and Millie walked through the corridor, Millie spoke. "Do you like-like Dean?"

"Oh, no! We're just friends. I like to tease him. We grew up together, practically."

"Oh."

They walked for a bit. "I'm glad you're my friend, Harry." She said suddenly.

He glanced at her. He hadn't really had any female friends before. For some reason, especially the older ones, didn't like him much. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. The others hang out with me 'cos their parents make them sometimes. But you don't have to, and you do it anyways. And you helped me last night."

"That's what I'm here for, Miss Millie. Now, let's go to the library and get started on that Charms Essay, you charming girl."

* * *

Two sets of hands eased the first year out of his bed.

"At least _this_ one doesn't snore. Hey, what's up with his pajamas?" One seventh year spoke softly to the other.

"Uhm...dunno. Think we should put that robe on him? Wouldn't want him to get sick."

There was a sigh, by the girl in the doorway. "Forget it, we're already running late. He'll know better to wear...what the hell is he wearing?"

There were a few chuckles and giggles as they went into the hallway, where they met the other upper years, one of them with another first year slung over his were six in all, two from fifth year, two from sixth, and two from seventh.

"I think you were a bit heavy handed with the sleeping drafts tonight, Elladora."

"Ella, you arse." The blonde hissed. She hated her name. Why her Mother had named her after a _Ketteridge_, she had no idea.

"Now Elladora, don't curse in front of the firsties." Another girl giggled, leading the way down the hall and into the common room. The snoring first year let out a rather large snore. One of the girls tapped her wand to several books in a particular order on the bookshelves, and one of the bookcases opened to reveal a narrow passage group quietly filed into an octagonal room, which was split into half by one sided glass, and split into half again by a wall that matched the rest of the walls in the dark room.

"Search them." Marcus Flint said softly, and the students did that. Neither groups were surprised to find one of the first years with a wand holster, and a wicked looking blade strapped to his other arm. But they were surprised to find that the other first year not only had a wand holster, but a blade on his arm, another on his thigh, and a fingernail file in his sock. He also wore another oddly shaped strap across his back, under his pajamas, but it was empty. They redressed the first years quickly, and put them each into a room.

"Let's see Malfoy first. I want to find out if he begs for his Daddy." Miles Bletchly chuckled darkly.

"Don't be an arse, Miles. Marcus?"

"Already on it."

Marcus raised the hood on his unmarked robe, and entered the room. He held his head down, and stood a couple of feet away from the sleeping first year. He was snoring, still. Loudly. Marcus drew his wand, and silently cast the binding spell, so that the boy was tied at his wrists and ankles. With another flick of his wand, he silently cast the awakening spell, and stepped back into the shadows.

The boy's snores abruptly stopped, and he shifted against the stone cold floor. He made to sit up, but he promptly fell over. His breathing quickened, and his silver eyes were wide open and round with fright. "What the..." He breathed.

Marcus stepped out of the shadows, wand drawn, and Malfoy froze, jaw slack.

"Who are you? Where have you taken me? Do you _know_ who I am? Who my _Father_ is?" The boy sneered.

Marcus only pointed his wand directly at the boy, not saying a word.

"Please, I have money, it's in my room-" He squirmed, realizing he was without his wand, and his blade. "You've taken my wand! YOU fucking-"

Marcus sighed, and cut off the boy's voice with a silencing spell. He simply walked out of the room, where the other upper years were chuckling.

"Brat was all talk. I knew it. I thought Lucius Malfoy would have raised his son better."

"He's still a bit Green. I'm sure he knows how to use those weapons alright, if he's got them, but he's got no creativity." One of the girls giggled.

"Let's watch him struggle for a bit." The students watched the boy squirm and struggle for a while, though he wasn't stupid enough to scream and yell under the silencing spell. At least he didn't cry. That had happened the year before- it was hopeless.

"Let's hope Potter turns out better than this one. Otherwise, we're doomed." Adrian Pucey groused.

"Marcus?"

Marcus nodded, and stood. "Yeah, Potter's still knocked out. Why he wore pajamas like that in the dungeon, I don't know...hey, Vania, his knickers looked kind of like yours-"

"Marcus Flint, you better not finish that sentence."

"Potter's a bit of a pansy. I bet he'll start crying."

"How much?"

"Five Galleons."

"You're on. There's a reason why he's got all those weapons, hon."

"But...those knickers, and those pajamas, and...and the way he acts-"

"Are you saying us girls can't defend ourselves?" Elladora and the other girls bristled.

"But...you've got your...womanly assets to convince us to free you. What has that brat got?"

The girls giggled. "Cute knickers."

Marcus went into the room and tied the boy up with rope similarly to how it was done with the Malfoy boy, arms behind his back, tied at the wrists, as wells as the ankles. Speaking of which, Malfoy was still struggling with his ropes, glaring hatefully at the door that Marcus had left through. Marcus stepped away from Harry, and awoke the boy.

The seventh years watched through the looking glass as the black haired boy opened his eyes. He didn't move at once, but his eyes glanced around the room, cautiously. He managed to sit up gracefully, despite the ropes, and looked up at Marcus.

"Is this some sort of hazing ritual?" Harry asked sweetly.

The students were taken aback. Other students had caught on before, but never, ever so quickly. And he looked so calm!

Marcus' only movement was to point his wand to Harry's head.

The upper year students gawked as the boy started to laugh. "Really now, if that's the case, the least you could do was transfigure the walls and the floor to look different than the castle!"

One of the girls leant forward. "Hey, he's working on the ties around his ankles while he's laughing. He's moving about enough to conceal it."

"Good show."

Harry leant forward, with a grin. "Lemme guess, all the others are probably watching from somewhere." Marcus didn't answer. Harry stretched his arms up casually over his head, and one of the boy's jaws dropped.

"How'd the hell did he do that?"

"He's double jointed. My Auntie Griselda used to do that when we were kids, as a trick. Hey, his ankles are undone. This might get messy."

"How? He's an unarmed first year against _Marcus_ with a wand."

Harry jumped forward, and tackled Marcus around the knees. The larger boy fell back with a oomph, and his hood fell back from his face. The first year crawled on top of him with a grin, and straddled his stomach.

"Now really Marcus, how rude. Now, are all the first years treated this way, or am I just special?" The boy brought both of his tied hands up into his hair, and fiddled with it a bit.

The boy muttered a spell, and the rope turned into handcuffs. Harry laughed. "Handcuffs? I didn't think you lot would know about handcuffs, muggle ones at that, kinky are we?"

Marcus growled, and flipped the boy over onto his back, and the boy only laughed. "I daresay, this is probably the most fun I've had in simply ages."

"He's mad, absolutely mad." One of the seventh years whispered.

"He thinks it's a game. Marcus is going to get pissed soon, if he doesn't shut up."

Marcus pinned his arms to the floor, and glared into his eyes.

"Why the fuck are you laughing?" He growled. "I can hurt you. You don't know any spells, you've got fucking nothing to save you, brat-"

Harry pulled a silvery something out of his hair, and Marcus barely caught it before it came near boys touseled about a bit, and the other seventh years were on the edges of their seats. They hadn't gotten a show like this in ages.

Harry rolled away from the boy, and was grabbed again, the knife was held against his throat. "Tell me why I shouldn't hurt you right now, you fucking son of a mudblood."

"Ooh...you think he might have gone too far? Look at the look in Potter's eyes." One of the seventh years whispered to the others.

Harry only moved up into the knife's edge.

"Fine. Hurt me. That will only be proof of your misdeeds in the morning. Madam Pomfrey will be _ever_ so pleased to hear about it _all_." He whispered throatily.

"Fucking first year's got some balls." One of the guys muttered.

"I can heal you. No marks, you see? Over and over. Nobody will know, and I can hurt you as much as I like. No one to hear you, or see you." Marcus slid the blade teasingly down the boy's slender throat. Marcus froze slightly as the boy made a slight groan in the back of his throat. Had he imagined it?

"Except for your friends. You lot are exhibitionists, are you?"

"Huh?" Marcus blinked.

Elladora giggled. "Omigosh, I can't believe that little firstie said that! What a scamp!"

Marcus glanced down slightly as Harry shifted his hips, only just a tiny bit, underneath him. What the- the distraction was enough for the boy to grab the blade, and slip away from his grasp.

Marcus raised his hands as the boy pointed the tip of the blade right at his heart. "Don't fucking move." Potter's voice was low and flat, and his face...transformed.

The students stood from their seats instantly, drawing their wands. Potter was dangerous. More than they'd realized.

"Now, let's make a deal."

That was the only thing that stopped them from getting Marcus out of there. They watched with bated breath.

"Okay." Marcus said, just as quietly.

"You lot teach me what you know. About the wizarding world and it's customs. Lucius Malfoy has invited me to stay for the Christmas Holidays, and I wouldn't want to be ignorant and rude, you see?"

Marcus' brow rose. Potter had gotten that out of Lucius Malfoy within the first week of term? How had he'd managed that?

"Not spells, I've already got help for that. I wouldn't be able to do everything you lot can, anyhow. Just traditions. History. The Gossip, dirt, anything I could have that would be useful in the future. In exchange, I'll give you what I know."

"What would _you_ know?" Marcus said with a sneer.

"I know all about muggles. How they live, what they wear, how they travel. If you ever had a need to...hide, wouldn't you want to know those things? Anyways, there are plenty of ways to defend yourself, muggle style, that I know of."

"What else could you give us? You're talking about thousands of years of traditions, Potter." Marcus said with a sneer.

Potter's knife knicked at the fibers on the front of his robes, warning him. "I've got the knife, haven't I?" An odd look entered his eyes. "You need someone to duel against. Undoubtedly, you lot have been dueling each other for years, and are in need of...fresh meat, so to say. I need to practice, and so do you. What do you think?"

"That you'll get pulverised."

A dark smile spread on the boy's face. "I think that's a risk I'm willing to take. Once a week?"

"Make it twice a week. We meet on Mondays and Thursdays."

"No visible marks. And healing will be done here, without Madam Pomfrey's help. I don't think you or I will want the whole school to know about this."

"Deal."

"Deal."

Harry pulled the knife away from Marcus' throat. "Now, have you got the others here?"

"Just Malfoy. Started screaming about his father."

Potter sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Let him go, please. Don't tell him that you guys took me too. What's this about anyways?"

The others walked into the small room, and Harry was instantly on alert. Elladora spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You were right. It's a tradition that happens every year. You see, we secretly test the first years their first and sometimes second week of term. These...tests...determine who is the strongest in your year, out of the girls, and out of the boys."

"...okay." Harry said cautiously.

"We chose you and Malfoy out of the boys because the two of you passed each of our previous tests."

"May I ask what they are?" Harry asked.

Elladora smiled sweetly. "Of course. Now, one, would be your magical power. Two, would be your political power, and Three would be your fiscal power. Then we study you, and see how you deal with the other students. The two of you clearly can take the lead- people pay attention to you, and listen to you. Obviously for very different reasons. Combined, all of these talents can make a person respected and honored, a true Slytherin."

Harry frowned slightly. "And this test?"

"How one reacts to danger is a good test. You knew right away not to be scared. Why?"

Harry grinned. "I'm never scared."

"Truly?" Elladora raised a brow.

Harry chuckled. "Must you make it sound like a challenge?"

He studied the group, noting that each of them wore a prefect's badge on their chest, except for Marcus, who he knew was the Quidditch captain. All in clear positions of power. "What I want to know is why it is so clear that you are all in positions of power? Why don't you hide it? You're Slytherins, aren't you?"

"It gives us more power. Other people respect power." One of the fifth years replied automatically.

Harry raised a brow, and flicked his blade back into it's sheath with a practiced hand. "You lot are supposed to be Slytherins, aren't you?" He sighed. "Tell Malfoy he won."

"What? But-" Elladora began to protest.

Harry rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips. "Yeah, he might get a big ego boost, but maybe if he hung around you lot, he'd get humbled a bit too. Teach him that power has responsibility. Make him your whipping boy."

"But what about you?" Some of them were interested in having a Malfoy cater to their needs, but why would Potter turn this opportunity down?

Harry just gave them a sneaky grin. "I've got my deal, haven't I? Anways, there are other ways of getting power, aren't there?" And just like that, he headed for the door.

"Oh, and make sure you transfigure the cells and things for next time. I figured it instantly because of that. Who knows when someone else will too?" He grinned. "Oh, by the way, I'm leaving before Malfoy can see me." He winked at Marcus. "I'll _let_ you win next time, Flint."

And with that, he finally sashayed out. Several boys, although they wouldn't admit it later, watched his pale pink silk pajama shorts sway from side to side.

"Marcus...are you blushing?"

"Shut up."

* * *

Look up Elladora Kettiridge in the HPLexicon. She's the witch that discovered that Gillyweed could be used to breathe underwater. Obviously the Elladora in this story believes the Ketteridge's are a lowly family to be named after. I couldn't resist slipping it in there. I swear, the HPLexicon is my bible. Haha. Just kidding, it's a close second. That would be an Art History book called _Styles, Schools And Movements_. I'm such an art nerd.

Did you like this chapter? I sure did!

Pairing Poll:(remember, Harry may be with more than one of these people. These results will not be posted. How am I to surprise you if I post them? Haha)

Harry/Marcus ...Harry/Pansy

Harry/Hermoine... Harry/Luna

Harry/Lucius... Harry/Blaise

Harry/Ginny... Harry/Neville

Harry/Remus... Harry/Twins- It can't be one or the other because the twins do EVERYTHING together. :3

Harry/Tonks... Harry/Krum

Harry/Fleur... Harry/anonymous :3 - this one means exactly what it says. Hehe.

Feel free to put forth any other ideas. Except for Harry/Draco or Harry/Dean. That will NOT be happening. Just so you know.

BTW: It will eventually be a Harry/Snape story in the end, as the description says. It will just...take a while for them to get around to it. Maybe. Or Maybe not.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

* * *

As soon as Harry was safely in his room, he locked the door behind him, and yanked his sleep shorts down. He touched himself, bowing his head. Was it so horrible that he got off on dangerous blokes? What the hell was wrong with him? He groaned, hand quickening as he thought about Flint pinning him to the floor, and the knife at his throat.

The thing was, he hadn't been scared at all, but turned on. Did that make him crazy? Only sick people liked that sort of thing, right? Still, the results were plain to see, as he came all over his hand. He was a very, very sick person. Flint wasn't even that good- but he was strong. It must have been all that Quidditch. He idly wondered if all the Quidditch players were built like that, and what he would have to do to find that out.

He cleaned himself up with a sigh, and glared at his door. He needed to figure out a way to keep everybody out of his room- especially while he was sleeping. Those fucking bastards just slipped him out of his bed like it was nothing! He kicked off his shorts, and stood in front of his dresser, hands on his hips. At least he got something out of all this- he wouldn't look like a complete idiot when he stayed with the Malfoys for the holidays.

And Malfoy was going to be unbearable for the next couple of days- until the older students started to invade with tasks for him to do. Harry smiled, thinking of high and mighty Draco being so humbled like one of those House Elves. Served the prat right.

Harry caught a glance of himself in the mirror, and turned slightly, looking at his slender profile. Well, he wouldn't be built like this forever. He best take advantage of it now, while he still could. Flint, for some reason, had been chosen to go into the cell with Harry, despite the fact that he was only a Fifth year. Why? Because he was the strongest, physically? Or was he the best dueler? He didn't look all that smart, though.

Flint would be perfect. He just needed...a plan.

* * *

Harry walked into the common room the following morning and greeted his year mates. Draco swaggered in with a broad grin, and Harry tried his best to hide his smile. Merlin, Draco was so transparent. He flicked his hair over his shoulder, and glanced around the Common room. The girls were waiting for them, gossiping quietly to themselves. Millie was off to the side, as usual, hugging a book to her chest. Since it was a Saturday, none of them wore their school robes. Harry sighed, seeing her dowdy brown sweater and matching skirt- he was seriously going to have to talk to that girl.

He noticed a group of Fifth year boys not too far away- Flint was with them. He was staring right at Harry. Harry gave him the smallest of smiles, and turned to the girls. "Good morning ladies."

"Good morning Harry!" The girls chorused. As they waited for the other boys, he idly wondered when the girls would be taken in for their 'test'. Who would be chosen as the 'leader'? Pansy's and Daphne's families were well off, and Tracey was rather nice looking, but it seemed like none of the girls stood out more than the others. Yet. Maybe it was too early to tell.

"Love your outfit Harry, another muggle one?" Tracey asked with a slight smile. Harry was wearing a light blue shirt, and dark blue pants, with a sweater vest. The vest was the only muggle thing he wore- everything else he'd gotten in Knockturne.

"Just the vest, hon. Everything else was from Twillfitt and Tattings. So, what are everyone's plans for today?" He asked, following the girls out of the common room. The boys had finally arrived, and the group of first years were making their way to the Great Hall.

No one had seemed to make any definite plans, except for Theo and Blaise, who were planning on working on their History of Magic essay that afternoon. They'd been putting it off all week, and it was due on Monday. As they sat down, Draco spoke up. "I want to go to the Pitch, and maybe convince one of the older years to lend me a broom so I can go flying."

Harry rolled his eyes while the others gasped in admiration. "Do you really think they'd allow you to fly?" Pansy asked.

"Of course. I don't see why not. Harry, are you going to come with me? I bet you could fly too, if you asked."

Harry glanced at Millie. They'd made plans to go to the Library that day, to do some research. "Uhm, actually, Millie and I are going to go to the library today. We don't have our lessons until next week, Draco. I don't think we'll be allowed."

"Of course we'll be allowed! I'm a Malfoy, and you're the Boy Who Lived! And you're calling Bulkstrode 'Millie' now? What is she, your girlfriend?" He sneered.

Harry's lips thinned. "She's my friend. Friends can call each other nicknames and things. Doesn't anyone ever call you Dragon, or something silly like that?" He asked, knowing Draco's Mother did. Pansy giggled, hiding it unsuccessfully. Millie hid her smile behind her hand.

"No! Of course not! Are you going to go flying with me or not?"

"Um...no. Maybe another time. After we've had our lessons. I've never flown before, and Millie and I-"

"I'll show you, it's easy-"

"Shut up you prat, he told you no! He can be with whomever he likes!" Millie hissed, finally having enough of Malfoy's wheedling. Malfoy and the others looked at her in shock.

"Why the hell would he ever want to hang out with you, Bulkstrode? Huh? Did your Mummy write him a little letter-"

Harry only barely had time to move before the girl reached over and socked Draco in the jaw. The blonde went toppling off the bench, feet flying above his head. Millie stood, staring down at the boy in shock. All of the surrounding Slytherins gaped at the girl, as did their yearmates. Some of the Gryffindors started to laugh, and a couple even applauded the girl . She blushed, mortified at what she had done.

Harry coughed, and stood. "Millie, I think we should get going." He held out his hand to Draco to help him up, who only scowled at his offered hand. He got up without Harry's help, huffing under his started to lead Millie out of the Great Hall when he noticed the rest of the girls stand, and follow them.

He raised a brow, but didn't say a thing until they were out in the hallway. "Are you lot coming with us to the library?"

"Transfiguration Essay." Pansy and Daphne said in unision, grinning.

"And I wanted to research up on some more makeup spells." Tracey added. The girls looked appreciatively at Millie.

"Where did you learn to hit a boy like that? And a Malfoy too!" Tracey said with a wide smile.

Millie blushed. "Father. Taught me a few moves." She mumbled.

"I'm so jealous!" Pansy giggled. "Last time I hit Draco, we were four, and I was yelled at by my Mother for half an hour about hitting Malfoys."

Daphne nodded. "You better be careful Millicent, he might sic his Father on you."

Harry slipped his arm through Millie's. "He won't give her any trouble."

Pansy and Daphne exchanged a look, and Tracey spoke up. "Is it true, then? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?" Tracey actually sounded a bit jealous.

Harry and Millie shook their heads immediately, giggling. "No way!" Millie said with a grin. "This prat here is _way_ too pretty for me. I like my men built more...solid."

Harry, playing along, nodded. "Oh yes, Millie, I'm much too pretty for you. No meat on these bones!" Then he added with a short laugh. "But if you're looking for a 'solid' boy, you could check out those Hufflepuffs!"

"Them?" Daphne said, her lip curling. The group went down the stairs to the dungeons.

"Oh yeah. Have you _seen_ that Cedric Diggory boy? Yummy!" Harry whispered playfully, opening the door for the girls.

Pansy's expression was odd as she passed. "You think he's cute?"

Harry gave her a slight shrug. "In a cutesy sort of way. Slytherin boys are much better, though." At their almost-horrified looks, he explained. "Goodness no, not the ones in our year! The older ones, you goose."

"Yeah, the boys in our year aren't mature enough." Millie said with a sniff.

As the portrait door closed, all that could be heard was giggling. It cut off abruptly, and two girls stepped out of the shadows.

"Ella, would you say Potter might be suited anyways?"

"Merlin, he's girly enough. It would be a first."

"He's got all the girls flocking to him already. He's _obviously_ off the market- and it looks like they respect his opinion-"

"Off the market?"

"Uhm..._yes_! He's homosexual. I know, it's a horrible thing- wait until Witch Weekly hears."

"But...but..." Elladora protested. "Maybe he'll change his mind when he gets older. My little sister's got her heart set on him."

"Not to mention half of the school. Don't count your Dragon eggs yet, hon."

* * *

Harry sat with the Slytherin girls at the library, working hard on his essay. Well, he was supposed to be. Instead, he was nibbling on his quill, eyes dazedly cast on the cute Hufflepuff boy two tables boy was tall, with sandy brown hair, and brown eyes. He looked to be a fourth year.

Millie elbowed him, making him jump. He looked at her crossly, thrown out of his daydreams. "What?" He hissed, annoyed.

Millie gave him a small smile. "I've been asking you the same question for a couple of minutes now."

Harry glanced over at the table, and saw the boy get up.

"Oh?"

"Harry, are you even listening to me?" Millie hissed back. The other girls giggled.

"Uh huh."

"Yeah, right." The girl grinned. "So...um, is it true that you sleep with a Teddy bear at night?"

"Yeah. Sure." Harry said, watching the boy lean over to pick up a book off of the ground.

"And his name is Mr. Kibbles." Pansy added.

"And he's bright pink!" Tracey exclaimed, getting into it.

"Yeah." Harry stood from the table. "Be right back, girls."

The girls stared in silence as Harry walked up to the boy, and talked to him quietly. It wasn't too long before the boy was blushing and stammering, and Harry was grinning. Harry leant in, and whispered in the boy's ear.

Daphne spoke softly. "What is he doing?"

Millie shook her head. "Talking, I guess. Hey, isn't that boy a Quidditch player too?"

The girls stared, watching the boy get a bit braver, and whisper in Harry's ear.

"Um...it kind of looks like he's flirting." Pansy said. "Are you sure they're just talking?"

Millie shrugged- she didn't want to tell the girls everything Harry had told her. "I guess. I mean, he thinks Cho is pretty, but we both think she's kind of a snob."

Pansy's jaw dropped as Harry touched the boy's shoulder, leaning into him. "Mum does that move to Dad. It's a classic!" She hissed excitedly to the other girls. "Where did he learn it?"

"And how?" Daphne said with a frown. They watched Harry take the boy by the hand, and go further down the isle, so that no one could see them.

* * *

Harry smiled, shoving the boy gently against the bookcase. The boy moved to kiss Harry, but Harry turned his head slightly. "Got to make this quick, love, my friends are waiting for me."

"Uh...yeah..." The boy stammered, and Harry glanced around, before molding himself to the boy's front. "If you tell any of your friends, this is just going to be a one-off, you understand, right?"

"'Course, I wouldn't tell my friends I messed around with a bloke." The boy mumbled, eyes widening as Harry slipped his hand into the boy's trousers. Harry kissed and nipped at his ear, groping him.

"What's your name, love?" Harry purred into his ear.

"P-Pierce. Pierce Coleman." The boy stuttered, his head falling back to the shelves, his eyes to the heavens.

"Good. Now, why don't you be a good boy and come for me Pierce? Hmm?"

The boy nodded quickly. "I should have gone to blokes sooner- they know what they're doing." He breathed, wriggling about.

Harry was delighted. "Oh, I'm afraid not all blokes are as good as me. I'm just special." With a nip at the boy's collarbone, the Hufflepuff came in his pants. He was breathing heavily, like he'd ran a marathon. He looked down at Harry, feeling a bit fuzzy.

"And you...what's your name?"

Harry smiled, and flicked his bangs to the side. At the boy's gobsmacked look, he winked, and cleaned his hands off. "Shh, it'll be our secret, yes?"

"Uh...yeah."

"Good. If I hear any rumors flitting about, I know they'll come from you. Now, get on your knees."

The boy was stricken. "What?"

Harry leant against the bookshelves, glancing about. "No one's here. This is the History of Magic section. That's why I chose it. Get on your knees. Now."

"But...I..."

Harry arched his brow, and the boy got on his knees in front of Harry, looking unsure of himself.

"Don't be nervous darling, it's really easy. I'll guide you through it, okay?" Harry said sweetly, and undid the front of his pants.

* * *

Draco strode into the library with a frown, the other boys flanking him. He found the girls pretty easily- they were all reading. Millie jumped as she realized the boys were there.

"Where's Potter?" Draco said, putting his hands on his hips.

"What? Um, he's not here." Millie said nervously.

"He went off to talk to a boy." Pansy said.

Draco frowned. "It better not have been Weasley, or I'll-"

The girls giggled. "Ew, no, it was a Hufflepuff- fourth year, it looked like." Pansy said.

"What was he doing talking to a fourth year Hufflepuff?" Nott asked.

The girls exchanged a glance, but said nothing. Luckily, a few moments later, Harry came out of the History of Magic section with a pleased smile on his face. He paused slightly as he saw that the boys were there, but that was his only reaction. He walked up to his housemates.

"Hello boys. Have fun on the pitch?"

"No." Nott muttered, and sat down next to Daphne. Draco shot the boy a look, but sat down as well. Crabbe and Goyle slumped into seats at the end of the table. Zabini was about to sit, but paused, as he saw a red faced Hufflepuff walk out of the History of Magic section.

"Hey, is that the bloke?"

As one, all the girls turned to look, and Harry coughed. Millie blushed, glancing at Zabini. "Yeah."

Zabini raised a brow, and sat in between her and Harry, who had just taken his seat.

"So...what's with you and the bloke?"

"Um...nothing. We just talked. So...um, how was the Pitch?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject. Thankfully, Draco began to complain and whine about how the Pitch had been taken over by stupid upper year students.

* * *

Did you like this chapter? I sure did!

As you can tell, Harry will not necessarily be submissive through the entire story. It just depends on who he is with. :3

Pairing Poll:(remember, Harry may be with more than one of these people. These results will not be posted. How am I to surprise you if I post them? Haha)

H/Marcus ...H/Pansy... H/Lucius

H/Hermoine... H/Luna... H/Sirius

H/Remus... H/Twins- It can't be one or the other because the twins do EVERYTHING together. :3

H/Tonks... holy metamorphs, batman! XD

H/Fleur... H/anonymous :3 - this one means exactly what it says. Hehe.

Feel free to put forth any other ideas. Except for Harry/Draco or Harry/Dean. That will NOT be happening. Just so you know.

BTW: It will eventually be a Harry/Snape story in the end, as the description says. It will just...take a while for them to get around to it. Maybe. Or Maybe not.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

* * *

Harry stared at Severus in surprise. "I'm what?"

"I don't believe in rewarding those who've broken the rules- which is why I'm not going to have you on the Quidditch team. So, instead, you are officially going to be your year's Tutor. Crabbe and Goyle's grades are appalling, and they need assistance. I will not have you distracted with Quidditch, you've got enough going on."

Harry sat down numbly in the chair across from the man's desk. "So...I'm not expelled?"

"No. Albus would never allow it." The man muttered. "And while the others have their flying lessons, you will have lessons with Elladora. She spoke to me the other day."

"Elladora?" Harry asked. What would a seventh year girl want with him?

"She's part of a group that...shall remain unnamed. She said that you were a candidate, but you turned down their offer. You are going to join anyways."

"But-" Severus knew about that group? Of course he did- the man knew everything that went on in Slytherin. Harry idly wondered if Severus was a part of that group when he was a student.

"Mr. Potter, I suggest you take their offer. Opportunities that would otherwise have been unavailable to you as a halfblood will now be accessable. You will have your lessons with Elladora here in my office while the others have their flying lessons. Understand?"

"What sort of lessons?"

"That's for her to explain. Now, Go back to your common room. You are to be confined to your room for the evening. If I hear otherwise, you will have detention with Filch. Think about making foolish choices like that again-"

"Malfoy was being an idiot! And-"

"Draco..." Severus put a hand to his temple, as though a headache was forming. "Is used to having his way. It would not do to have someone standing up against him. Not yet, at least."

"Not ever, you mean." Harry snapped back. "He's a spoiled brat that's used to having everything! He needs to learn otherwise, or he's going to be in for a rude awakening when he gets older. I'm doing him a favor." Harry hissed. "He's just going to make more problems for us in the meantime."

Severus' lips thinned. "Go to your room."

"I'm not a child!" Harry yelled. "Stop treating me like one!"

Severus leant forward, frowning. "I'll stop treating you like a child once you stop acting like one."

Harry shut up after that.

* * *

Harry looked at Elladora suspiciously as he entered the small room in the Charms wing. While everyone was out having fun in flying lessons, he was stuck doing who knows what with this girl. She sat primly on a settee, ankles crossed, sipping some tea. Her uniform was spotless and pressed, her robes open to show off her uniform. She was built well, with honey colored hair and fair skin. She had dark brown eyes, and thin lips, and she was quite pretty. A tea table was next to her, and the window in the classroom was behind her, overlooking the Grounds. Harry shuffled towards her, and set his bag down.

"Please sit, Mr. Potter." She said with a sweet smile. Harry sat next to her.

"Why am I here?"

"Straight to the point, are we?' She smiled, setting her tea down. Harry noticed that she wore an engagement ring, and another ring on her pinky- that had a crest on it. "You are here to start your lessons. Also, I am to inform you that you will be inducted into our group two weeks from now, as will Mr. Malfoy."

"I thought you said you lot only took one boy and one girl." Harry pointed out.

Elladora laced her fingers together in her lap. "We decided to make an exception this year. We tested the girls, and thought that you could benefit much greater under our tutelage. You see, despite your...talents, you do not have the advantage of a pureblood upbringing. What better way to learn than to be a part of our group? Also, the girls and I decided that we could still teach you are Arts."

Harry furrowed his brow, and she pressed on. "Most girls learn from their Mothers on how to manipulate wizards, but you unfortunately did not have that chance. You have the talent, yes, but you will be schooled in how to channel those talents properly."

Harry couldn't help but start laughing. "Elladora-"

"Ella." She cut in shortly.

"Ella. Well, Ella, I have plenty of experience channeling those talents, as you call it, and I don't need your help in that department-"

She sniffed. "There's always room for improvement. Right now, you're flirting with random boys like a Knockturne Alley whore, yes, I've seen you. Some men will be able to see right through that, and will turn them off completely. You do not want to appear uncouth, ill mannered, and uneducated. Yes?"

"Yes." Harry replied begrudgingly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Her smile came back. "Good. Now, in addition to these lessons, we will school you in our society and traditions, so that you will be able to banter with the more powerful of the Elite. Now, I've notified Narcissa Malfoy of what is going on, and she has offered to help."

Harry gawked at her. "What?"

Elladora pursed her lips. "Mrs. Malfoy is one of the most powerful women in our country, besides Amelia Bones and Griselda Marchbanks. You're lucky that she's offering her assistance. Now she said she would be sending you books soon on your Potter family history. She said that you would be able to access your private family books when you are older and able to access the rest of your vaults-"

"The rest of my WHAT? There's more?" Harry exclaimed.

"Of course dear." Elladora said, nonplussed. "Your family is quite wealthy. Now, firstly, I'd like to work with your appearance."

"What's wrong with the way I look? A lot of people like the way I look!" Harry protested.

Elladora stood, and motioned for him to stand up as well. She circled him, looking at him closely. "Well, you dress well, which is a good thing, but you carry yourself...a bit improperly." She straightened his shoulders and back, and made him bring back his hips so that they didn't jut out. It was a bit uncomfortable.

"Good. Better. Now, why do you squint?"

"Huh?"

"You squint. You probably don't even realize it. Do you need glasses?" She asked.

Harry gaped at her. "I...um..."

"We'll have someone take a look at your eyes. Now..." She studied him a bit more. "Your hair is quite nice, but I believe the tradition for a boy in your stature should have it pulled back."

"Of my-"

"You are the last Potter, dear, it would be different if your Father was alive. At least your hair is long." She said, circling him a bit more. "You should wear your heir ring on your right pinky once you get it- when you're thirteen."

Harry frowned. Another thing he really didn't know about.

"Oh, and I would be careful about those muggle clothes you wear. It's all right to wear them here for now, but once you get to fifth year, it will be quite improper for you not to wear robes."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I like muggle clothes. And I see plenty of older students wearing muggle clothes."

"Of course you would. They're blood traitors and none of them are Slytherins. We do need to set an example-"

Harry cut in. "I will wear whatever the hell I want!" He hissed. Elladora pursed her lips, and turned away.

"Fine. Now, I will teach you how to serve and drink tea. I'm sure Narcissa will be testing you on this when you visit for the holidays, so please pay attention."

* * *

Harry hated his new glasses. They always seemed to get in the way, and they made him look so...serious. And they covered up his eyes. Elladora told him that the glasses suited him- they were rectangular, with thin black frames. Apparently, his vision had been pretty bad, It had never really occured to him that he'd needed glasses in the past- but his vision was bad enough that he needed them. If his vision had only been slighty off, he could have used a potion, but obviously, he needed something a bit stronger.

He enjoyed reading about his family history- plenty of adventures were to be had by the Potters- many were involved with the Ministry as Aurors, while some were Quidditch Players, and others were in politics. Their family stretched back before the Founder's time, always living in the village that was now known as Godric's Hollow.

The book only went up to his Grandfather, Charlus Potter. Apparently, Charlus Potter was friends with his Professor McGonagall and the famous Auror Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. His Grandmother, like Narcissa had said, had been a Black. Dorea Black. She had apparently been alienated from the Black family on account of her marrying a Potter. She and Charlus both worked at the Ministry as Aurors. Charlus eventually became Head of the Department for a short while before he was killed in 1978, by You-Know-Who. Dorea followed soon afterward.

Funnily, it seemed as though a lot of Potters had died in the past two hundred years. He guessed it was on account of two major wizarding wars and all. And now it was just down to him. All those centuries, and there was just one Potter left. It was...scary.

Especially when it seemed as though it was likely he'd be the last one. Yeah, he could probably find a girl and pop out a sprog or two, but that wouldn't be fair to her- especially when it looked like he batted for the other team. Still, there was plenty of time before it came to that. He'd just have to do his best to stay alive for the time being.

* * *

Harry had always had mixed feelings about Halloween. On one hand, you could wear whatever you wanted as a costume and get away with it. On the other hand, it was also the day that his parents died, and his crap 'childhood' began. Everyone was buzzing about the Feast, the food and the decor were amazing. Harry had dressed for the holiday that evening, and wearing a pair of cat ears, and a tail that stuck out of his shorts. He'd had the twins help him with the charmwork. They were pretty smart, when the occasion came for it. They'd even charmed the tail to move randomly.

Along with the cat ears and tail, he was wearing one of his muggle blouses, with a pair of shorts. He put a sweater on over it, because it was getting colder, and a cold was not attractive. The hall filled with giggles as they saw him. He'd convinced the girls to dress up too- Pansy was Celestina Warbeck, while Tracey, Daphne, and Millie had gotten together and dressed as the Mother, Maiden, and Crone.

Harry ignored the pointing and staring as he sat down with his housemates. Snape strode alongside their table, and muttered "Ten points to Slytherin for...showing the holiday spirit." Just out of everyone's range of hearing. He sat down next to the other staff members, trying to ignore how...attractive Potter looked tonight.

"I think, next year, we should hold a costume contest!" Pomona said with a grin. "I think it might be a fun activity for the children to do. I wish my Hufflepuffs had thought of it."

"It's just an excuse for more mischeif." Severus murmured.

"Don't be like that, Severus. I think it would be quite fun." Minerva said. "Of course, Mr. Potter's costume is a bit strange- though I do like him being a cat, I'm not sure why he would dress...that way. The length of those shorts might be a tad innapropriate-"

"It's all in good fun!" Hagrid boomed.

Severus sighed, and looked to his the feast progressed, he noticed the looks that the boy got, and wondered if he was going to have to chase Potter out broomclosets anytime soon. He was surprised he hadn't done it already, but perhaps the boy was trying to keep a low...he frowned, noticing how Flint was talking to Potter now about something. Not that he didn't approve of Potter being in the Group, he didn't like how close the boy was to Flint.

But the boy had a penchant for trouble.

The Great Hall doors opened, and Quirrel appeared. "Troll! Troll in the Dungeons! Thought you ought to know!" He cried out, and dropped to the floor in a faint. Severus sneered.

* * *

Somehow, Harry had gotten seperated from his Housemates in all the commotion, and was now wandering the halls, lost. He had heard Trolls were huge ugly creatures that were very stupid, but impervious to magic. He was frightened- what if he ran into one?

He heard a great big crash, and screaming. A girl.

His eyes widened. He knew that he should be running away from the sound, but he found that his feet were running towards the screaming. He gaped at the destruction that the troll had caused to the castle, feet slapping against the water that was flooding the floor.

He saw Hermoine Granger huddling under a sink, some of the toilets had already been banged through. The troll was huge and ugly, just like he'd read- and it had a huge club in its hand, and it was just about to strike-

"Hey, you! Ugly!"

The troll looked at Harry. Harry's heart quickened, and he looked over to Hermoine. The girl was crying and shaking, and her hair was looking particularly frazzled. "Granger, get out of there!"

The girl sniffled, and grabbed her wand from the ground from where she'd dropped it. The troll started to lumber towards Harry. Harry looked around quickly, looking for a way out. The only was just directly behind him. "Granger, hurry up!" He called out, casting a stunning spell to the troll, which bounced right off of him.

Granger stared at him in surprise. "That's a stunning spell, how did you know-"

He grabbed her by the arm, and shoved her behind him. "Come on! We need to find the teachers!" He yelled, backing away from the troll. He looked around to see what he could do. The troll banged his club against the floor, making the stones crunch under him. Harry yelped, stepping back.

"What on earth are you wearing, anyways?" The girl said, batting away his tail that had been waving about.

"Halloween costume. Shit, oh, the eyes! You know the stunning spell?"

"Well, I've only read about it-"

"On three, cast it right at his eyes. One, two...three!"

And down the troll went. The room shook, and another pipe burst loose, spraying all over the two first years. Harry turned to Hermoine. "You get lost too?"

"Um..."

They heard people running in the corridor, and Harry spoke quietly. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you."

"No prob-"

"Mr. Potter! Miss Granger! What's the meaning of this?" McGonagall cried out, looking harried. Snape and Flitwick were at her side.

"I...got seperated from my housemates, and I got lost." Harry said feebly. "I heard Granger scream, and came to help her."

Hermoine blushed. "I...wasn't at the Feast tonight. I really...um, didn't feel like going. I was here in the loo, and...the troll came out of nowhere. If...if Harry hadn't come, I probably would have been dead."

McGonagall sighed, and looked to Severus. Flitwick studied the troll. "He's just unconsious. Stunning spell?" He asked the two first years.

Harry nodded. "We aimed for his eyes."

"Good! Good!" Flitwick chirped, binding the troll up with ropes.

"Well, ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for being out of bounds." Snape said with a scowl.

"However..." Minerva added. "Twenty points to Gryffindor and Slytherin for working together and for...sheer dumb luck!"

* * *

Harry was watching the Gryffindor/Slytherin quidditch game, along with the rest of his housemates. The stands were packed with students, and everyone was cheering loudly for their teams. Harry was in the front row with the other first years, and they were all decked out in their house colors. Granger, who had taken to stalking him in the library, was in the Gryffindor stands. His housemates teased him that the girl had a crush on him now, because he'd saved her, but he wouldn't hear any of that.

He'd found out that the reason why Granger was in the loo in the first place was because that idiot Weasley was making her cry. Yeah, Granger was a Gryffindor, but he didn't think making girls cry was very nice. So Harry had told the twins, who had been slipping an unsuspecting Ron pranks for the past week in retaliation.

He was gaping at the quidditch players, he felt someone pushing him from behind. He turned, frowning at Crabbe and Goyle, who were directly behind him. "Stop pushing!" He hissed.

Both boys raised their hands. "No pushin'." Crabbe muttered.

Harry turned back forward to watch the game. It wasn't too long before he felt the push again- and this time, it was harder. He frowned, clutching at the banister in front of him. The pressure on his back was becoming almost painful. What the-

"Harry, be careful-" Millie called out. Harry yelped, and felt a tug on his robes, and it felt as though he was slightly lifted up- the banister was digging into his hips.

"I...something's wrong!" He cried out, arms scrabbling for something to hold onto. Millie caught one of his arms, while Draco was swatted in the face with the other.

"Potter!"

Harry yelped as he felt himself being pushed forward. All the first years were paying attention now.

"Something...something's pushing me, what the hell-"

Pansy pointed to the crowds. "I think you're being cursed Harry! Quirrel is looking right at you!"

"But-but Quirrel is a joke-" Harry screamed as he tipped over the banister completely, and hung over the side, clutching at it. His housemates grabbed him by the arms, and were trying to pull him up, but something kept dragging him down. Harry kicked at the air, feeling terrified.

"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall screeched, shoving Lee Jordan aside from the microphone. Harry felt a hard tug on his robes, and his hands slipped from his friends, and he began to drop to the ground. Screams filled the arena as they watched the eleven year old plummet. Harry grunted as something caught him around his waist, and he was floating in the air. He looked up and saw Flint with his arm around his waist. The boy's face was troubled as the two of them landed to the ground. Harry didn't feel the tugging anymore.

Harry felt a little wobbly as they landed. He dropped to the ground, shaking like a leaf. Snape was striding towards them, looking ashen, with McGonagall and Dumbledore running behind him.

"Harry, you could have died!" Snape said, looking at the boy carefully. Flint looked at the man oddly, but remained silent.

"I just-"

"Mr. Potter, you must be more careful about standing next to the ledge, Mr. Flint, 20 points to Slytherin for your quick thinking." McGonagall snapped.

"But...I..." Harry started. "Something was tugging- I couldn't stop it-" He pointed up to his housemates. "All of them were trying to pull me back in, but something was tugging at my robes- this was no accident!" He cried out.

* * *

I hope you liked the chapter. Please review.


	8. Chapter 8

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry refused to go to any more quidditch games after that. He also made sure never to be alone in the corridors- the older students were always escorting the first years to their classes, just in case. No one knew who would have tried to kill Harry, nearly everyone liked him. They were suspicious of Quirrel. Harry told Snape of their suspicions, and the man said he would look into it.

The semester continued along, thankfully there were no near-homicides...well, except for Hagrid's hut getting on fire, but rumor said it had been a dragon! Harry thought this very silly, everyone knew Dragons were illegal in this country.

Harry continued to have his lessons with Ella. He found out that she was engaged to an older wizard who had already graduated Hogwarts. She was lucky, however, as her husband was allowing her to continue her healing training after she was finished at the school. In addition to his lessons with Ella, he began to spar with Flint, and have his lessons/detentions with Severus.

When he wasn't in his lessons, he was with his friends, hanging out or doing school work together. Crabbe and Goyle's grades were slowly getting better, and Harry was pleased to see that the older students were treating Malfoy like their whipping boy. Millie had taken to doodling in her notes and classwork- Harry thought the pictures were good, somewhat similar to the book he'd given her.

Of course, they were dressed, that would have been 'inappropriate'.

Not that that mattered much to Harry. He gave her some of his other art books, hoping to encourage her in her skills.

The holidays were coming up fast, and Harry was a bit nervous. Ella had said Mrs. Malfoy would be testing him on his skills, and there was to be _the_ social event of the season at the Malfoy's this year- their annual ball. Harry was well informed of the guest list by Ella, and was taught all sorts of information about the social elite that would be there.

Severus was against him going to the Malfoy's at all, of course, but Harry couldn't bow out now-it was far too late.

He arrived to the Malfoy home, using the floo. He was dressed in dark blue robes, and his hair was pulled back neatly with a spell he'd learnt from Elladora. The usual tendrils of loose hair that escaped his bun were not present because of the spell. He smiled at Mrs. Malfoy, giving her a slight bow. She smiled slightly at this, and then pulled her son to her in a hug.

"Draco, why don't you show Harry to his room. Then we'll have dinner together. Harry will be in the white room."

Draco glanced at her in surprise, but nodded. It made Harry wonder what was so special about the white room. Harry followed Draco through the corridors, trying to remember where everything was. He didn't want to get lost, after all.

"The West Wing." Draco announced as they headed up some stairs. "Usually, guests are not allowed up here. Guess Mother and Father are serious about you being family." The boy commented as they walked down a long corridor.

"Mother and Father's rooms are at the end of the corridor, while I am in the green room. I will be across the hallway from you." They came to a stop in front of a set of large doors.

"This is your room." Draco opened it, frowning slightly. Harry's eyes widened. "It's strange. No one has ever used this room, as long as I could remember...Mum always said it would be for a sibling...if I ever had one..." He trailed off uncertainly."I don't remember it looking like this, though."

Harry stared at the beautiful room. A large bed sat there, dressed up in white comforters and quilts- it looked very fancy indeed. The bed frame was a silvery white color, and engraved on it were unicorns, peacocks, pegasi, foxes, and a number of other animals. On the headboard, there was a large tree carved into it, the branches curling up towards the sky.

The other furniture looked similar- there was a dressing table, a large closet, a fireplace, some floor rugs...it all looked so beautiful and grand. It made Harry nervous- it seemed so...permanent. They had made preparations for him to be in this room, and not just for the holidays either.

Harry went to the window. It was large, and let quite a bit of light in. Draco followed him.

"The room is amazing."

"Well...we are Malfoys, after all. We take care of our guests." Draco said with a smirk, sounding a little pompous. "I'll show you my room after dinner, Mother and Father are expecting us."

Harry followed Draco down to the dining room, feeling nervous, but excited. The holidays were going to be interesting. It was too bad that Dean had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays- he wanted to hang out with the twins and stuff. He had said that he would feel weird, going to a Ball where everyone hated him. Harry didn't like that- he didn't want Dean to feel uncomfortable.

Harry would make sure to tell Dean all about the holidays.

Harry and Draco arrived to the dining area just as Lucius and Narcissa were sitting down. The room was large, and they were sitting at a small table by the fireplace rather than the long table that took up the majority of the room. Despite the smaller setting, the table was set with crystal and the best silverwear, and Harry knew he would have to be on his best manners while eating.

He and Draco sat down, and Lucius spoke.

"Blessed Mother, we thank thee for what we are about to eat. We thank thee for all that you have given us, and what you will grant us in the future. So mote it be."

"So mote it be." Draco and Narcissa intoned, and Harry was a bit shocked that they had just said a blessing of sorts. He knew for certain that Draco didn't do such thing while at Hogwarts, so... he had heard mention of the Mother, and the Goddess, but no one had really talked to him about that sort of thing.

The others put their napkins in their laps, and began to eat.

"I received a report from Severus about your grades, Draco. You are doing quite well." Lucius began.

"Thank you Father." Draco said with a bright smile, taking Harry aback.

"Of course, your marks could be a bit better in Charms, dear..." Narcissa began.

"It's that Granger- she has top marks, always doing extra credit and brown-nosing to the Professor." Draco said with a scowl.

Harry frowned slightly at this, sipping his water.

Lucius then looked to Harry. "And I hear from Severus that you are doing rather well in your classes as well."

Harry couldn't hide his surprise. Why would the Malfoys want to know about his marks?

Narcissa seemed to understand his expression. "You're practically family, darling, of course we would want to know how you are faring."

Draco's expression changed at this, and Harry tried to keep from fiddling with his silverwear. He was rather uncomfortable at the thought of them being family.

"Your grades in herbology could be a bit better, though." Narcissa said with a small smile. "I would be happy to help you with any problems you're having in the class. I did rather well in that class, and we have the greenhouses here that you could work in."

"Oh...thank you ma'am." Harry said awkwardly.

"Please dear, call me Narcissa."

"And you may call me Lucius." Lucius said with a smile, lifting his glass towards Harry. Harry fidgeted at this.

"Have you made a lot of friends at Hogwarts? We know Draco made a lot of friends- even the upper years are taking notice of him!" Lucius said, eyes glinting.

Harry looked down. "Well..."

Draco cut in. "Potter's been hanging around Bulstrode a lot. And that muggleborn friend of his. The girls in our year seem to follow him around." Draco rolled his eyes at this, telling them what he thought of that. "I've even seen him talking to Granger."

Harry glared at Draco slightly, noting his tone. "She's very smart, and she's helped me a couple of times with assignments. Why can't I get help from someone who knows what they're doing? I'd rather get help from her than fail my classes."

Narcissa looked rather approving of this, while Lucius looked thoughtful.

"How is your muggleborn friend doing- Dean, is it?"

"He's...he's fine. He chose to stay at Hogwarts to catch up on some studying."

"I heard he was hanging around the blood traitors, those Weasleys." Draco muttered.

Harry frowned at this, but said nothing.

Lucius cleared his throat, looking warningly at his son.

The rest of the dinner after this was rather awkward. They then retired to the drawing room. Draco was attacked by a pet cat while they were there, and the boy sat on the sofa, attending to it. The cat was a white persian, and it was HUGE.

Lucius sat by the fire, and his wife was fixing him a drink. Harry watched her, noting her impeccable skill. Ella was right- the woman was good. She glanced his way, and Harry looked away. She had known he was watching. Narcissa gave her husband his drink, and sat by his side.

"Harry, we wanted to talk to you about something." Lucius began.

"It's about your Guardians, in the muggle world." Narcissa continued, putting a hand on her husband's knee. Draco looked up at this now.

"We found out who your Guardians were, the ones that sent you to the Orphanage. It seems as though you were placed there by Headmaster Dumbledore. Were you aware of this?"

Harry gave the slightest of shakes to his head. He wondered what sort of people these Dursleys were.

"After doing a bit of investigating, it seems as though they're the worst sort of muggles. Rude, common people, with no sense of kindness or propriety." Narcissa said, her face twisting slightly. "The Minister agreed with us when we said that it is best that you do not go back to those people, even with the Headmaster meddling."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"The Headmaster, once he learned that you were not with the muggles, has been trying to take steps to make you live with them once more."

Harry frowned at this. "I see."

"I knew the Headmaster was barmy." Draco muttered from the sofa, grimacing as the cat scratched his hand. That thing was violent.

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a look. "Draco, why don't you go to your room? We got you some new clothes for the ball, why don't you try them on?"

The boy sighed heavily, knowing he was being sent away so that they could talk to Harry alone. "Alright." He left, and Harry sat stiffly in his chair, gripping his hands tightly together. Did they know?

"Harry, when we investigated further, the orphanage you had been staying with said that you had run away, not that you had been placed with a Foster Family." Narcissa said gently.

Harry looked away at this, trying to keep calm.

"And Severus said he couldn't tell us anything about your Foster family because he never met them. However, according to the rest of the staff, he has. Does he know that you've been living on your own?"

Harry let out a slow breath, and didn't answer them.

"I'm sure that is why he escorted you to Knockturne, right? To make sure that you were provided for?" Narcissa continued, her voice gentle.

Harry looked at her in surprise, and Lucius smiled. "Not much goes on in Knockturne that we don't know about. Especially when Severus visits places that we regularly go to with a different child."

Harry bowed his head. "So?" He asked quietly.

"We cannot allow you to live on your own any longer. It's just not safe. We...Narcissa and I have been talking, and...we have been thinking it would be best for everyone if we adopted you."

Harry looked at them, shocked. "What?" He breathed.

Narcissa got up from her husband's side, and knelt in front of Harry. Her light purple robes glowed in the firelight, and Harry couldn't help but think she was beautiful, even if she was a bit mad for thinking to adopt him.

"Harry, you need someone to look after you. While Severus is a good man, he doesn't always do well with children. We know he tries, but there are other children he has to look after as well, and he is usually very busy with his work. But you need both a Mother and a Father-"

Harry cut in at this. "I've been living on my own for a long time now. I don't need parents..." He said, feeling scared and angry. This was NOT a good idea.

"Harry, it's dangerous out there. There a good amount of people there that can hurt you, and if we adopt you, you will be under our protection." Lucius said, studying Harry carefully. "We are rather well off, and you will be supported just like we would support Draco."

"But...but you barely know me." Harry whispered. Lucius was a Deatheater- they were Dark, they wouldn't want to...

Narcissa smiled at this. "Which is why we invited you for the holidays. So we can get to know you, and so that you can consider our offer. You don't have to answer right away, but we would like for you to give it a chance." She touched his shoulder, and Harry shrugged it away, standing up.

He moved to stand in front of the fireplace, staring at the flames. His heart was beating fast, and a headache was forming.

Every adult he had ever trusted, every guardian he'd ever had...broke that trust. Hurt him. He was well aware that the Malfoys were dangerous people, and if they hurt him, they would hurt him big time.

"Harry, we know how you supported yourself on the streets." Lucius said quietly, making Harry's legs shake. He would have dropped to the floor if it hadn't been for Narcissa grabbing him, holding him to her chest as they sank to the floor together.

Harry clutched at the woman, tears finally falling.

"How? How...how did you know?" He whispered.

Lucius moved to their side, kneeling next to the boy. "Unlike other ministry officials, I can freely use spells to get the information I need. With some well placed obliviates, no one else will ever find out the truth."

"Oh god..." Harry whispered.

"Have you told anyone?" Narcissa inquired quietly, petting his hair. Harry looked away, but didn't pull away from her arms.

"Who?" Lucius asked. "I need to know, so that we can keep this between us."

"...Severus." Harry said quietly. He smiled ruefully. "I propositioned him before he had the chance to introduce himself. I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"I imagine he got the shock of his life." Narcissa said quietly. The adults exchanged a look, and helped Harry to stand. Narcissa cleaned his face up and straightened his robes.

"I suppose you're aware of my history with the Dark Lord, then? I would imagine you wouldn't go to someone's home without looking them up." Lucius said.

Harry sighed. "Yeah. It's not that hard to find the Daily Prophet articles. Heck, you could ask any Gryffindor."

Narcissa's lips pinched at Harry's casualness, but Lucius only nodded.

"We're dangerous people, yes, but only to those who are a threat to us." Narcissa said with a bright smile, and Harry didn't doubt her.

"And definitely not to family. We will treat you well here, Harry, you will not want for anything."

"And Dean?" Harry asked.

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a look.

Harry spoke up. "Look, I'm not asking for you to adopt him or anything- I just don't want to alienate him. We've been through a lot together."

"Was he..."

"He didn't sell himself...no." Harry said quietly, looking away. "But we owe each other a lot. I don't want to leave him behind."

"And a Malfoy never leaves debts unpaid." Lucius stated.

"Will you teach me to be Dark?" Harry asked carefully. He didn't want to be in Voldemort's league, and if these people were going to force him into it, he would turn their offer down now. And if they lied, he could tell.

Narcissa smiled at this, laughing softly. "Darling, being Dark can't be taught. It's in our blood. Some people have a proclivity for it, others do not. It's up to you wether you want to pursue it or not."

Lucius spoke up. "I'm sure you've undoubtedly learned a few curses and hexes during your time in Slytherin, but..." The adults exchanged a look. "If you do not want to learn Dark magic, you will not be forced to. However, we think you might have an inclination for it."

Harry just gave them a long Look.

Narcissa led him towards the doors. "However, the Yule holidays are a time of relaxation and fun. You will spend the time getting to know us, and meeting everyone at the ball. Of course, I will be testing you to make sure you're ready to attend such an event, but I am sure you will do just fine."

Lucius walked ahead of them, opening the door for the two of them. Harry and Narcissa went through the doors, and down the corridor.

x-x-x

The following morning, Harry had breakfast with the Malfoys. Lucius and Draco were going riding in the stables, and Narcissa wanted to get him fitted for his robes for the ball. They actually had a seamstress come to the Manor for this.

Harry kept still, making a face slightly as the woman draped several fabrics over Harry's arm. They had already chosen the pattern of robe that they wanted to use, but they still hadn't chosen the cloth. So here he was, standing in his knickers (which drew some odd looks), with muslin draped around him, pinned in place, waiting for them to decide on fabric.

Harry glanced over at their choices. Pale blue brocade and satin, dark green, dark red, gold, lavender, heck, even pink somehow made its way there.

He could tell that Narcissa was favoring the gold, but Harry wasn't having that.

"Can I go with the light blue? And can it be silk instead of those fabrics there?" He looked at the swatch provided, and scrunched up his nose. "No, raw silk, matte." He handed the other samples back, being careful of the pins. "And could I have the outer robe be longer...no, longer than that." He said, watching the muslin adjust itself with a flick of a wand. He shook his head, motioning for them to continue. It fell to the floor. "And I'd like for it to trail behind me, just slightly. Now, the pants, I want to be fitted. Tighter than that. Oh, bit too tight." Harry blushed, and the women chuckled. The fabric was loosened slightly.

"I want it to be fitted more across the chest and shoulders, and looser on the arms...make the sleeves just a bit longer..."

Eventually they got the robes just like Harry wanted them. The Seamstress sat back once she finished her work, running a hand through her mussed hair. They'd spent all morning on this.

"Well, this isn't anything like I've done before."

Harry's smile widened as he looked at himself in the mirror. The robes were perfect. He turned slightly, watching the fabric move. "I like it. It's beautiful, madam."

"Would you like a hat to match?"

Harry shook his head quickly, gazing at his reflection. He caught Narcissa looking at him with a pleased expression. He fingered the small buttons that started at his neckline, all the way to his waist. The jacket was open from there, showing off his lean legs. He pulled the bun out of his hair, letting his hair fall to his shoulders.

"I'll wear my hair down."

Narcissa went to his side. "You know, it would look rather striking if you grew out your hair for the night."

At his startled look, she smiled. "Just for the night. It would be a bit much to take care of on a daily basis."

Harry looked at the mirror once more, trying to imagine his hair longer.

x-x-x

Harry spent the next few days, mostly in the library, or in the greenhouse. He was hiding out. The Malfoys were busy with party preparations, and Draco was pestering him, wanting to know what his parents had talked to Harry about. Harry wrote Severus about the Malfoy's offer, and the man told him that he would be there at the party, and that they would talk in private then.

One afternoon, Harry was hiding out when he managed to snoop into Lucius and Narcissa's bedroom. He just wanted to see if it was as fancy as all the other rooms. You could tell a lot about a person by looking at their room. Draco's room was stuffed full of toys and quidditch posters, with a lot more books than Harry owned. Most of the books were either on potions, or fiction.

Lucius and Narcissa's room, of course, was a bit more refined. Mahogany furniture, with pale green walls and different shades of green and blue on the bedclothes, rugs, and various other things.

The dressing table was beautiful, of course- the hand mirror there was antique, and he couldn't help but sniff at some of the perfumes and colognes. He then walked into their walk-in closet, and he noticed that it was much bigger than many of the places he had slept in as a child. Harry was immediately entranced by Narcissa's gowns and robes, and all of her beautiful shoes. He thought it such a shame that her clothes usually covered them.

He knew that the elder Malfoys were busy in the ball room- they wouldn't be up for a while yet. Maybe...maybe he could just...try on something of Narcissa's? He shuddered with delight as he pulled out a pale pink dress. He undressed quickly, and pulled it on. It was too long of course, but he didn't care. He held the fabric tight to him, folding it in the back, and folding the dress up around the waistline, so that it would shorten. He grabbed a brown leather belt, and tightened it over the folds of fabric, holding it in place.

Giddy, he whirled about, watching the skirt flow about him. The pink fabric was soft and some of the layers were top was a bit big on him, but that was alright. He left the closet, and sat at the dressing table, looking at the perfumes and took the ponytail out of his hair, running his hand through it.

He put a bit of perfume on, humming to himself. Maybe there was a bit of makeup here? Or did Mrs. Malfoy use spells like some of the girls at school did? He opened the slim drawer, smile widening as he saw some powder and rouge there- not much, but enough. He put a bit of the powder on his face, and then put a bit of the rogue on. He was dabbing at his lips when the bedroom door opened.

Harry froze seeing Lucius in the doorway. The man froze upon seeing him. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

Harry swallowed thickly, looking down at his hands. He turned slightly in the chair, and Lucius was gone.

* * *

Thanks guys, for reading. Sorry for the long wait, I've been really, really busy.

Love it? Hate it?

I'll try to update soon. :3


	9. Chapter 9

Love In the Dark

Wooo, another chapter! Don't you feel lucky?

* * *

He and Lucius hadn't said one word to each other besides a simple hello at mealtimes. Harry could tell that Narcissa was suspicious, but the woman hadn't said anything to Harry about it. Harry was aware that the two adults were watching him carefully, and he understood why.

Soon enough, the Ball was upon them, and Harry was hiding in the drawing room, trying to talk himself into going down to the ballroom and mingle with the other guests. He was feeling a bit nervous. His hair had been lengthened for the occasion, actually, it had been lengthened quite a bit. Wanting a rather dramatic look, his hair fell past his knees, flowing down in a silky sheet. He definitely couldn't handle having it this long all the time- it was heavy and hard to manage. His robes looked perfect, of course, and were extremely comfortable.

Taking a deep breath, he left the drawing room, and headed downstairs to the ballroom. He met up with some of the party goers, greeting them politely, ignoring the way their heads turned as he passed.

He made it to the ballroom in one piece, and walked down the staircase gracefully, fully aware of all the stares directed his way. He ignored all the stares, making sure not to trip over his robes, hand sliding down the banister.

He then saw Severus, looking at him with wide eyes, holding up his glass as if he was in the middle of taking a drink. Harry smiled slightly at this, blushing. Perhaps he was just imagining things, but quite a bit of conversations had stopped when he had entered the room. As he arrived to the foot of the staircase, Narcissa was there, along with her husband.

Lucius gave him a lingering look, but said nothing while Narcissa spoke.

"You look gorgeous darling. Harry, let me introduce you to the Minister. He's been asking about you all night!"

x-x-x

Harry actually found himself having a good time. He'd been introduced to a good amount of politicians; sure they might be boring, but Harry had fun predicting what they would say.

There were a few highlights, however. Most of his housemates were there, so he managed to get a dance with most of his female yearmates, and managed to hear quite a bit of gossip. He got a ton of compliments on his hair and robes, and Harry thought he might have seen a reporter or two flitting around. He talked quite a bit to Flint, who couldn't keep his eyes off of him. Flint was trying valiantly to be polite and proper, but it was apparently hard for the boy to do this, especially while he kept staring at Harry's lips. Harry thought about flirting with him, but thought it best to wait until they were back at school, away from prying eyes.

As the evening was slowly coming to a close, Harry found himself talking to Lord Nott, Theo's Father. Theo was talking to some of the other boys across the floor. The only people that remained were some of the closest friends of the Malfoys. Harry had been trying to catch Severus' eye all evening, but the man had been busy talking to one person or another. Severus was apparently very popular at these soirees, on account that he could give the parents all the Hogwarts gossip and reports about their children.

Still, Lord Nott was a rather interesting man. He had dark hair and a long face, much like his son, and rather tall and thin, but had rather good eyes. They were talking about the Ministry. Lord Nott worked in the Department of Underage Magic, and was telling Harry how they detected underage magic users in the muggle world.

He was rather aware of how close the man was standing to him, but he knew he could handle himself. Harry smiled and nodded, just appeasing the man and killing time until he could talk to Severus.

"Did you hear me?"

Harry glanced into the man's eyes. "Sir?"

"I said, did you want to go to the balcony and get some air?" He motioned to the double doors not too far away from them. Huh, how had they gotten over here?

Harry just gave a slight shrug of his shoulder, something Narcissa probably would have dissaproved of. They headed towards the doors, and Lord Nott put his hand on the small of Harry's back, lightly, just grazing it. Harry then suddenly realized, as they were out on the balcony, that the man probably didn't just want to talk.

Harry pulled away from him casually, leaning against the balcony, looking up at the stars. Nott stood rather closely behind him, making Harry feel suddenly dirty. And not in the good way.

"You're a very attractive boy. I'm sure you've had all sorts of offers for arranged marriages." The man joked.

"Not really." Harry said softly. A hand settled on his shoulder.

"You've got money, the fame- I wouldn't be surprised that all sorts of offers come your way when you're a bit older."

Harry turned his head slightly, meeting the man's eyes. Oh yes, this man was certainly a predator. How had he not noticed this before?

"Yes...when I'm _older_." Harry stressed this last word. Still, Nott didn't seem to care. His smile widened.

"Have you been kissed yet?"

Harry looked away, frowning, and the man turned him around, hands gripping his upper arms tightly. Harry only had time to gasp as the man covered Harry's mouth with his own. Harry bit the man's lip, hard, and his knife was in his hand in the smallest of moments.

Harry's knife dug into the man's throat.

Nott stared at him with wide eyes, and Harry laughed harshly. "Do you honestly believe I wouldn't be prepared for something like this?"

He shoved the man away, hard, making Nott fall to the stone floor of the balcony. At that moment, the balcony doors opened, revealing Severus and Lucius, who looked rather perturbed. Nott looked at them in shock, and then looked back at Harry.

"Lucius, the boy just drew his dagger on me for no reason-"

"Shut it." Lucius said, looking darkly at the man. "Get out of my house."

"What, but Lucius..." Nott got up now, still holding his hands up to show that he was unarmed. He then looked to Severus. "Severus, tell him-"

"I suggest you listen to Lucius." Severus said, drawing his wand.

Nott frowned, but did as they said. Lucius followed him, but not before giving Harry a Look. Harry sighed, putting his dagger away. Severus approached Harry.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No." Harry said shortly, staring up at the stars. He sighed. "I'm off my game. A few months ago, I would have noticed he was a creep right away."

"We should have known. We should have kept him away from you."

Harry gave the man a Look. "You two knew he was a predator?"

Severus leant against the balcony. "Yes. Unfortunately, he's from an old family, and his lawyers are just as good as Lucius' are. All we can do is keep an eye on him and prevent him from doing things."

"That's bloody fantastic." Harry muttered.

Severus looked at him. "Maybe it is a good thing that Lucius and Narcissa gave you that offer. It keeps...others from adopting you."

Harry buried his face in his hands. "Lucius saw me in his wife's dress the other day. He's been avoiding me. He might just take the offer back now."

"...why were you in Narcissa's clothing?" Severus asked, looking at Harry strangely.

"It was pretty." Harry mumbled. He peeked out from between his hands, looking at Severus' expression. "What? I like pretty things."

"It's going to get you in trouble some day." Severus said quietly, frowning.

"So...you think I should take their offer?"

"...Honestly, I think they'll help keep you out of trouble. And with you being in Slytherin and a ward of the Malfoys, I think the Dark Lord will be more likely to try to recruit you than kill you."

"Wow, I feel so much better." Harry said sarcastically.

"I'm just stating the facts." Severus said logically.

x-x-x

The following morning, it was Christmas, and Harry woke to Draco shaking his arm. Harry sat up abruptly, unused to this. Draco glanced warily at the dagger in Harry's hand. "Harry, it's time to go downstairs- Mother and Father are waiting for us." Harry got out of his bed, pulling his dressing robe on over his pink silk top and pajama shorts. Draco frowned at his attire,but said nothing. Harry's hair was still long from the night before, as he had gone nearly straight to bed after the mess with Lord Nott.

Draco was still dressed in his pajamas as well, which was unusual, but it was Christmas, after all. Wait...did this mean he had presents?

He followed Draco down the stairs,his feet getting cold on the marble floors. Draco actually broke into a sprint, skidding into the sitting room. Harry stifled a laugh, walking in a much more sedate pace. At the base of a humungous tree, a pile of presents sat. Narcissa and Lucius were already there, sipping tea in their pajamas. This was the first time he'd ever seen the two adults dressed so casually. Narcissa was in a white silk nightgown and a matching dressing robe, while Lucius wore grey silk pajamas and a dark blue dressing robe.

Draco kissed his Mother and Father good morning, and dove right into the presents. Harry hung back, smiling slightly at his classmates' antics.

"Harry, aren't you going to open your presents?" Narcissa asked, a glint in her eyes. "I'm pretty sure that there were some there with your name on it."

Harry's eyes widened, and he sat on the floor next to Draco, and reached for the first package. Indeed, he did have presents under the tree for him. His housemates got him small things, like candy and such. Dean had gotten him some paper and quills, while Hermione had gotten him a planner. The twins had gotten him some prank gear, and Draco had given him a book on hexes. Harry was rather surprised to get a wooden flute and some cauldron cakes from Hagrid, who he'd talked to every once in a while. He made a point to remember to talk to the man more next term. Severus had gotten him some more supplies for his potion kit, and something he hadn't been expecting. A new dagger.

It came in a handsome black leather strap, and the handle was made of onyx. Harry stared at the slightly curved blade, feeling pleased with the gift. It was rather beautiful, in a dark way- the metal was darker than any other he'd seen before.

"That's dark mythril." Lucius said appreciatively. "That's a very good, blade, that. Good magical properties. That looks to be an heirloom." He and Narcissa exchanged a look at this, one that Harry knew to mean that it being an heirloom meant something. Something important enough that Harry would need to talk to Severus about.

Harry put the blade back in its case carefully, wanting to test it out later. He then opened the rest of his gifts. Narcissa had given him some new robes, pajamas and slippers, and a new pair of shoes. Lucius gave him a brush and comb set, and several books. By the look that Draco had given Harry when he had opened the brush and comb set, Harry knew that this had meant something as well. What,he didn't know.

They had breakfast there in the sitting room, while the elves cleaned up the wrapping paper and put their new things away. Draco then went to go get dressed so he could go flying.

"Draco, aren't you going to invite Harry?"

Draco made a slight face, but followed his Mother's inquiry. "Harry, would you like to go flying with me?"

Harry gave a slight shake of his head. "I'm not really into flying, but thank you for asking Draco."

Draco sighed, and gave a pointed look to his parents. "May I be excused?"

Lucius nodded, lips thinning.

Draco left the room, and Harry spoke up quietly. "He and I don't get on very well. I'm sure you've noticed." Narcissa and Lucius exchanged a look- they did this a lot, and it made Harry wish that he could be with someone in the future that knew him that well.

"You just need to find out what you have in common." Lucius said, and Narcissa shook her head slightly, as if she already knew that her son and Harry were nothing alike.

"Did you like your gifts, Harry?" Narcissa asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, I did. Thank you." Harry murmured, fingers tracing over the box that held his brush and comb set. It was a heavy oak box, engraved and lined with velvet. The brushes and combs were beautiful, made of ivory. "What is the significance of this gift?" Harry asked carefully.

Narcissa looked rather uncomfortable. "It is a traditional gift for a child your age to receive...amongst family members."

"Draco did not get a set." Harry pointed out.

Narcissa put her hand over his, making their eyes meet. Harry stopped fidgeting at this. "Draco received a set before he left for Hogwarts. However, his set is slightly different than yours. Your set..." She glanced at her husband.

"We thought yours suited you more. With the way you...present yourself." Lucius stated.

And then Harry understood. It was a girl's set. And then it made complete sense. Especially Draco's odd look.

"I see." Harry whispered. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad about the gift.

x-x-x

Harry overheard something later that day he really shouldn't have overheard. He was in the library, snooping, when he heard Lucius and Draco having a heated conversation.

"Draco, you just need to be a bit more friendly to him-"

"Don't you see, Father? He's just...too wierd. We don't have anything in common- he's always talking about clothes and stuff with the girls, and he dresses so strangely, I don't understand how you and Mother put up with those...mannerisms."

"Draco-"

"So what is it? Am I not a good enough heir for you that you just had to adopt the Boy Who Lived? Everyone says he's just so great, that he's just so nice and good looking, and he has such good marks-"

"Draco...it sounds like you're jealous of him."

"I...I'm not!" Draco's voice went higher at this. "Can't you see? He's just fooling everyone. Potter isn't perfect, you know. He's hiding something, I know it."

"Draco...no one is perfect. If he accepts our offer, he will be as good as your brother. He will never, ever be named Heir, though. You are our Heir, son, and that will never change. Anyways, didn't you always want a sibling?"

"I wanted a sister." Draco muttered quietly. "But I guess Potter is girly enough to pass."

Harry stifled a chuckle at this, trying to keep quiet.

"And don't call him Potter. Even if he doesn't take our name, he would still be your Brother."

"Or sister."

"Draco..."

"Okay, okay. I will treat Harry like he should be. Like a younger brother. Because, technically, he is."

"...Thank you Draco." Lucius sounded exhausted at this point, and Harry could understand why.

x-x-x-x-x

**Alright people...important news!**

I've been posting things like mad all over the interwebs today, so I'd like to update you all.

I started a FictionPress account this morning, under the username Hecateslover3- Hecateslover was already taken. XP

I posted some new fan-art on Deviantart, under this username (Hecateslover), and some of it is art based off of my HP stories!

I posted some new work on Etsy, under VibrantGlareStudios, and we also have a facebook page. If you really want, you can follow me on twitter under Hecateslover, or follow me on Facebook. Hell, I'm even on youtube, under VibrantGlareStudios. Eventually, I will be posting how-to videos when I've got the help (meaning someone to hold the camera).

I will start posting original work on FictionPress as soon as I'm allowed- 2 more days. So yeah, watch out for me. :P


	10. Chapter 10

Love In the Dark

Wooo, Chapter Ten!

* * *

Harry stood in the drawing room, watching Draco and Lucius talking together over some books. Lucius was giving some pointers to his son about Charms. Harry held a History of Magic book in his hands, but he kept getting distracted. Narcissa was at his side, finishing a letter off to a friend. One of the countless ones that had attended the Ball, no doubt.

Harry sighed roughly, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He wasn't jealous of Malfoy, that little prick...right? Lucius smiled at his son, squeezing his shoulder in a completely fatherly way. Draco rolled his eyes, writing a bit down on parchment. Obviously Lucius was a tough teacher.

"It's different, seeing them in private, isn't it?" Narcissa said softly.

He glanced at her, lowering his book slightly.

"Everyone has their gentler sides. Just because Lucius has a dark past does not make him a bad person. Just because I am a Dark Witch it does not make me a bad person." Narcissa said with a glint in her eye, pulling her thread through the fine cloth.

Harry bit the inside of his cheek, trying to process what he was saying. He knew what she said was true. After all, he'd met all sorts of people that lived on the street that did unscrupulous things, but weren't really bad people. But it's not as though the Malfoys were hurting for money, right? So what reasons would they have for doing bad things?

Narcissa saw his confusion, and set her things aside. "Come with me, darling."

The two of them left the drawing room, and walked the corridors together. Narcissa put a hand on his shoulder, looking to the portraits as they passed. Most were asleep, although there were a few that glanced disinterestedly their way every once in a while. They all looked boring and snobby.

"I'm sure you're wondering why Lucius joined the Dark Lord."

Harry gave her a Look.

"And why I would want to be with a man like Lucius." Narcissa sighed, her soft skirts rustling on the cold marble floor, opening the door to a room Harry had not been in yet. It was rather small and cozy, a little nook that had a bay window.

"He asked me to marry him right here." Narcissa said, sitting down on the settee, a warm smile on her face. Harry sat next to her, feeling unsure. "Of course, I knew he would. Mother had prepared me for the day a long time. He had already graduated Hogwarts, and I was in my fifth year. He was already in the Dark Lord's service. I knew this, of course, but I did not expect the trust that Lucius had placed in me by allowing me to keep my freedom."

"What?"

Narcissa looked to the window. "I was to be Marked. My sister Bella had sponsored me, to be Marked early. However, Lucius told the Dark Lord of our impending marriage, and for legal reasons, I should remain unmarked. When he told me this...I was forever grateful to him."

"I don't understand." Harry whispered.

Narcissa smiled up at the moon in the sky, looking very faraway. "Lucius could have allowed me to get marked anyways. He could have not intervened with the Dark Lord. It was the first time that anyone has asked for such a thing...such bravery."

"But...didn't you want to be V- the Dark Lord's follower?" Harry asked curiously, wondering why Narcissa was telling him this.

"No. Not really. But it was expected of me. As it was expected of many in my generation. Many of our parents had been classmates and followers of the Dark Lord already. And then...we truly did believe he would make a difference. Yes, I am Dark, but I am loyal to my Family. I will not bow to Him. We are loyal to our family, Harry, first and foremost. Even Lucius."

Harry opened his mouth to say something else, but she spoke again, voice wavering.

"I gave my devotion to Lucius, and trusted him to protect me from...Him. And he trusted me back. That is what makes a relationship work. Trust, and Devotion. I never really expected to fall in love with him, but I did."

Harry wasn't expecting this. To be honest, he didn't have much experience with love. Lust, sure, but love? Hell no.

The woman took his disbelieving look and laughed softly. "You'll see. One day, you'll fall in love, and you'll see." She took his hands in hers. "You are lucky Harry, in so many ways." Her smile faded. "And unlucky in others. Can...can you tell me something? When...when was the first time you were...taken?" She asked quietly.

Harry's gaze dropped to their joined hands. Should he tell her? She had told him something so private...could he trust her?

"I was seven." Harry whispered. "At that age, I didn't really...I had heard things, but I didn't expect it to..." She squeezed his hands, tight. He could tell she was holding her breath. "I have no idea how many men I've been with. Doesn't that sound disgusting?"

"But you were safe? Severus assured us you were..."

Harry frowned. "I was. There were a few times, at the very beginning, but...I started defending myself. Severus ran a few tests...after I started Hogwarts. Just to make sure. I came up clean, thank Merlin."

"Lucius told me about Lord Nott." Narcissa said with a tight voice. "I should have watched him. I should have..." Her voice wavered, and she looked away. Harry looked at her carefully. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" She asked, her voice tight.

"No. He didn't get a chance to. My dagger was at his throat before he even realized." Harry's voice sounded flat, even to his ears. "He hurt you, didn't he?"

Narcissa sniffled, letting go of his hands. She dabbed at her eyes quickly with a hankerchief. "No, no." She shook her head quickly. "No, he didn't hurt me." She gave him a quick smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm just glad that you were able to defend yourself."

Harry gave her a measuring look. "Are girls taught how to defend themselves? Besides what they teach at Hogwarts?"

Narcissa's eyes dropped. "No. Not really. Bella and Andy...they took to Defensive magic rather well on their own." Her voice quieted. "While the Black sisters are all rather powerful, each of us had our specialties."

"Andy...Andromeda, right?"

Narcissa shook her head quickly, waving it off. "Enough about them. I wanted to talk to you about you!" Her voice brightened, although Harry could tell her heart wasn't in it.

"Harry...if...if you come to us for this summer...especially if you do take our offer...you will be trained in dueling by Lucius. Draco has trained with Lucius over the years, but it will be much more intensive this year, now that he's been to Hogwarts. You will undoubtedly join them in their training. I...I would like for you to teach the girls in your year what you learn."

Harry's eyes widened. What little lessons he'd had with Ella had taught him that proper pureblood witches were not taught such things, that they studied how to defend themselves magically only, and even then, just what they taught at Hogwarts.

"You and I both know that this...Quirrel is a joke, and I've seen over the years that the Defense Against the Dark Arts class is getting worse and worse. I fear that there will be generations of girls unable to defend themselves..."

Harry's mouth dropped open. The woman spoke so earnestly, it took Harry by surprise.

"But...why me?"

Narcissa smiled, a real smile now.

"Think of it Harry...not only are you being trained in the more...genteel arts by Ella and myself, but you are sparring with young Mr. Flint. With your training by Ella and myself, you can communicate with the girls more effectively. Severus is undoubtedly teaching you what he knows, which is no small thing either. There is a reason why he is Head of Slytherin house, after all. You have the advantage of getting a well-rounded education. Your background, of course, helps you. It is...unfortunate, yes, but it makes you no stranger to hard work...and unafraid of doing what needs to be done."

Harry stared at her. "So...you want me to teach the girls how to..."

"Be proper young women, yes. But also able to defend themselves from more...unscrupulous people. They are sheltered, young. They don't notice the things you do. If you teach them, they will be prepared."

"Surely this is against...some sort of rule?"

Narcissa gave him a small smile. "That's the thing about Slytherins, darling. We're excellent at bending the rules." She reached forward, stroking his cheek with the tip of her finger, looking at him thoughtfully. "After all, you break quite a bit of rules yourself. Like going into mine and Lucius' rooms?"

Harry blushed at this, looking away quickly. He pushed her hand away.

Narcissa put her hands in her lap. "Honestly dear, I wasn't really surprised when Lucius told me."

"...Really?"

The woman nodded. "It is rather obvious that there is a certain...softness about you."

Harry shifted uncomfortably at this. There was nothing...soft about him. He was tough. Hard as nails. Right?

"Do you want to be a girl?"

"No." Harry said quietly, feeling very uncomfortable. While he liked dressing up, he liked his penis, thank you very much!

"Why do you dress in girl's clothing, then?" Narcissa asked, as if they were talking about the weather.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you want to know?"

"I just like to know these things, that's all. You made Lucius rather...uncomfortable, after all. He isn't used to having things like this sprung up on him. Give him a wand-happy auror, or a bit of surprise legislation, but...you?"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"After a while, he did admit that you made a very pretty girl. I... thought that it might be a good idea to take advantage of this while we can. You won't be this small forever, you know."

"Advantage?" Harry echoed, feeling rather incredulous.

Narcissa just gave him a smile, one that Harry knew would be causing problems in the future. Perhaps it was one of those smiles she sent her husband every once in a while to get him in the mood. Harry felt himself blushing for some reason.

"I know you do it. It's rather obvious. I watched you at the Ball, when I could. The men were smitten, as well the women. You were charming, adorable, and very lovely. If trained properly, you could become the next Minister of Magic, if you wanted, forging connections now."

Harry choked at this. "Uh..no."

Her smile faded, and the woman looked rather put out. "Where's that ambition, darling?"

Harry shook his head, chuckling. "Why would I want to be Minister of Magic? All that paperwork? Meeting all those boring politicians? Hell...uh, Heck no."

At the woman's expression, Harry couldn't help but grin. "Would you believe me if I just said I wanted to just dissappear one day with enough money to...do nothing all day? Just do whatever I wanted, and forget the rest of the world?"

The woman's lips thinned. "That doesn't sound very ambitious of you."

"Ha, it does if you're Harry Freakin' Potter." Harry said bitterly, his smile fading.

x-x-x

Harry was in Heaven. While Draco and Lucius were doing a bit of bonding time, he and Narcissa were out doing a bit of shopping. Well, Harry took Narcissa to London. The woman had never really gone to the muggle world before, and Harry had to take her shopping. She simply didn't know what she was missing! They spent the day in Harrod's. Narcissa had gotten some shoes, a few pretty dresses, and a few shiny baubles. Harry knew that Lucius would love the Calvin Klein number she'd gotten. He'd probably jump her bones if he saw her in it. Harry said as such to her, making the woman laugh gaily.

Harry got some things too- Narcissa had treated him. Well, bribed him was more like it. Harry could get used to this sort of thing. Spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothing. Of course, it was on things he wouldn't grow out of- he wasn't that impractical. A few scarves, a few ties, although he did get some nice trousers. He showed her the muggle makeup counter, and introduced her to Chanel No. 5.

Let's just say she bought a lot that day. They returned, shopping bags in their arms, feeling exuberant about their day. Draco and Lucius looked up in surprise at the amount of bags they carried.

"Those don't look like Twilfitt and Tatting's packages." Draco said cautiously.

"That's because they aren't!" Harry said with a relish, digging out a small bag and handing it to Draco. "Here, we got something for you."

Narcissa took out a small package as well, and handed it to her husband. Draco opened his gleefully, while Lucius gave a Look to his wife.

"Narcissa...how much did you spend today?"

Narcissa grinned. "Does it matter, darling? Open your present! I've got more here, but those will wait until later." She gave him a wink. Lucius raised a brow, but opened his package. Draco gasped as he held up a watch.

"Mother, it's beautiful."

"Thank Harry, he picked it out."

Draco looked to Harry. "Er...thank you Harry."

Harry smiled. "You're welcome Draco. Want to help me carry these things up the stairs?"

Draco made a face at this. "Dippy." He called curtly. A house elf appeared, and Harry rolled his eyes. Of course Malfoy would call an elf, the lazy sod.

"Dippy, put all these things away."

"Yes young master." The elf said curtly, and the elf, and all the packages popped away.

Lucius and Narcissa were talking quietly together. Harry led Draco away, knowing that the adults wanted some...alone time.

"So...you like your watch?"

Draco started to put it on, looking at it fondly. "Yes, I've never seen one so...unusual before. Where did you get it?"

"Harrod's."

"I don't believe I've heard of that shop. Is it new?"

Harry hid a snicker, following Malfoy into his room. "No." He leant against the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest. The boy twisted his arm this way and that to look at his new watch. "It's actually been around for a while. It's in London."

"Diagon Alley?" Draco made a slight face at this.

"No, you dolt. Muggle London."

Draco's eyes went round, and he gaped at Harry. "You...you took my...MOTHER into muggle London? She's never been to the muggle world-"

"It's not that big of a deal." It really wasn't. She fit right in with all the snobs at Harrod's. You would never notice that she hadn't been to the muggle world before. Of course, she waited to show her excitement until they were back at the house.

"But...but..." Draco looked at Harry. Then the watch. Then Harry. Then the watch. "But...no muggle could have made this."

"A whole bunch of them did. It's called an assembly line." Harry muttered, and walked out of the room. Draco followed Harry into his own room.

"When Father hears-"

"He won't care. Not after he sees your Mum in some of the clothes she bought. Your Mum is pretty hot, Draco." Harry waggled his brows, completely enjoying the puce color that Draco's face turned. He was about to blow up any moment. This was kind of fun, actually.

"Don't you say that about my Mum!" Draco roared, and lunged at Harry. Harry fell back on his back, in complete surprise. Harry rolled, fixing his arms around the blonde's neck, and pinning the boy's legs down with one of his own. A spark entered the boy's eyes, and the two of them wrestled earnestly.

"Malfoy, stop being such a brat, I was just playing- ow, you little fucker!" Harry cried, smacking the boy, when Malfoy bit on his arm.

Draco looked at him in shock, and rolled Harry onto his back, smacking him back. Harry's ears rang. Harry's head hit the cold marble floor, and he saw stars. Malfoy's hands eased up on him- Harry kept his eyes closed, trying to regain his bearings.

"...Harry?" Draco sounded scared...really scared. "...are you okay?"

Harry opened his eyes slowly, pushing Draco off of him. The boy eased off of him, sitting next to Harry.

"I'm fine." Harry said quietly.

"...I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Yes you did." Harry said, his voice still quiet. He still laid there, trying to keep from getting dizzy.

"...Okay. I did. But...don't joke about things like that. She's my Mum."

"Grow up. Your Mum and Dad aren't that old. Be flattered that your Mum and Dad are gorgeous at their ages- odds are, you'll look as good as they do when you're older too." Harry said tiredly.

"But..."

Harry sat up slowly, and looked at Draco. The boy looked rather ruffled, for once. "Look, if we're going to be...well, if I'm going to be adopted or whatever by your parents, that makes us brothers or whatever."

Draco frowned slightly at this.

"Considering you're their son and the oldest, you're the Heir, and since I'm the Heir of the Potters, I don't have any plans to kill you off or anything for your fortune." Draco frowned further. Harry would have rolled his eyes at this, but it would hurt too much.

"The thing is, we're going to be living together, and I've got to make sure that we have each other's backs. After all, a lot of people out there can't be trusted, and the only people you can trust is..."

"...Family." Draco said quietly.

"Right." Harry said, brushing his bangs out of his face.

"Look, Potter, I don't like you very much. You hang out with mudbloods and blood traitors, and you dress...strangely. And you hang out with girls. Yet somehow all the older Slytherins like you."

At Harry's surprised look, Draco just gave him a wry smile.

"What, you thought I wouldn't notice? While they're working me like a dog, you're making nice with them. For some reason, they like you better than they like me."

Harry sighed. "Draco...they see a potential in you. They think you could be a leader. But even leaders have to work sometimes, they carry a lot of responsibility. That's what they're trying to teach you."

"...Oh." Draco said, leaning against the end of Harry's bed. He brought his legs up, and his thin arms hugged his legs. Harry thought he looked so much younger like this.

"The thing is... people expect a lot of things from you. I know what that's like. People expect a lot of things from me too." Harry murmured. "So let's just stop fighting. Help each other out."

Draco looked warily at the dark haired boy.

Harry just smiled. "I'll help you by letting you know when you're acting like a spoiled prat."

Draco's eyes glinted. "And I'll help you when you start acting like a bloody girl."

Harry made a face, shoving Draco's shoulder, hard. "Girls can be tough too, you know. Doesn't Millie have a strong left hook?"

Draco scowled at this, and shoved Harry back.

It didn't take long for another wrestling match to ensue.

x-x-x

Harry was trying to study his Transfiguration book when there was a knock on his bedroom door. Harry was lying on his bed, on his stomach, jotting a few notes down in his book. He was wearing his new trousers and one of his blouses. His feet were bare, but his slippers weren't too far away.

"Come in." Harry murmured, glancing up.

Narcissa entered the room. She looked gorgeous, as usual. "Darling, Severus is here to talk to you."

Harry sat up, furrowing his brow. "What? Why?"

The woman looked rather uncomfortable. "Well, he wanted to talk to you about something important."

Harry slid into his slippers, and followed her. "Did he say what?"

She glided down the stairs, sighing. "I think it's for him to say."

Harry followed her into the sitting room. Severus was standing by the fireplace, looking nervous for some reason.

"What?" Harry asked rudely. Narcissa winced, most likely because of his rudeness.

Severus glanced to Narcissa, and the woman left, closing the door behind her.

"What's all this about? You like like your Cat's just died."

Severus turned to stare into the fireplace. "The Dark Lord is alive. I know it for certain now."

Harry paled. "What?" He whispered. "How do you know? Did you see him?"

Severus shook his head. "There's just...things happening. Dangerous things. Harry, you have to make sure to stay alert...I don't want you going back to Hogwarts, but you'll have to."

Harry approached the man, looking worried. "What happened?"

"I believe one of the Professors is being possessed by the Dark Lord's spirit. There is evidence, but we cannot do anything about it. Yet. Are you carrying the dagger I gave you?"

Harry nodded, touching his arm. It was there, in its holster, underneath his sleeve. "Of course."

"Good." Severus met his eyes. "Have you been told the significance of me gifting you that dagger is?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "No. But I did realise that it was sort of a big deal."

Severus sighed. "It's an heirloom. My family heirloom. So yes, it is rather a big deal. It...symbolizes that you're under my protection."

"Oh." Harry murmured.

"I would be careful to not show it to anyone if you didn't have to."

"Of course."

"Harry? Are you...alright?"

Harry bit his lip. "You just told me that the guy who killed my parents and tried to kill me is at Hogwarts at this very moment. How do you think I'm feeling?"

"..."

Harry sighed roughly, running a hand through his hair. "How do you fucking kill a spirit anyways?"

x-x-x

Yay! So...update:

Check out the awesome-ness that is my artwork over on Deviantart (same username), Twitter (same username), Facebook Page and Etsy (VibrantGlareStudios). I have been attempting to post original work over on fiction press (hecateslover3), but I am having trouble with the editing- how in the hell do you edit chapters if they revert straight back to the unedited text? I'm sooo confused. Why isn't it set up like ffnet? :pout:

Okay, so a lot has happened in this chapter. Please review, share your thoughts. Harry will be going back to Hogwarts in the next chapter. What would he see in the Mirror of Erised? Any ideas?

Love always, Hecateslover


	11. Chapter 11

Love In the Dark

Wooo, Chapter Eleven. Warning, smut ahead. Just a reminder to all of you, check out my profile for info about my websites and art work. I'm on Facebook, Deviantart, twitter, Fetlife, and Etsy. I've also just joined fictionpress, so if you want to read my original work, you can head over there. Shameless plugging, I know, but I do a LOT more than write fanfiction. I'm actually in an exhibition right now, and have more coming up! Spread the love, and I will love you forever and ever :3

* * *

Harry knocked on Lucius and Narcissa's door their last night before he and Draco were to return to Hogwarts. Harry felt very nervous, and for a good reason. Narcissa opened the door, her dressing robe wrapped around herself tightly. Lucius sat on the bed, a book in his hands. Harry fidgeted, tugging slightly at his pajama shorts.

"Hullo. Could we talk?"

Narcissa allowed him in. The woman sat at the end of the bed, and Lucius set his book aside.

"Lucius...Narcissa, I've thought about your offer." Harry murmured, looking down at his feet. "I just want to say that I've had a wonderful holiday. You both have treated me well, and you have a lovely home. Thank you for allowing me to stay with you for the Yule holidays."

Lucius spoke up. "You were a delight to have here, Harry. We were happy to have you here."

Harry glanced up at this, and then looked to Narcissa, then back to Lucius. "I know I could learn a lot from you both. I know that I...could be happy here. I do not need parents, but I would be happy to have your support, if I ever needed it. I would be...happy to call you friends."

"Friends?" Lucius asked, raising his eyebrow.

Harry gave him a shy smile. "Well...yes. It may not look it, but I do have a hard time identifying with the others around my age. But you two understand me, just as Severus does. You placed your trust in me, and so shall I. That's what Family does, right?"

Narcissa smiled at this, and opened her arms to him. "Come here darling." Harry went to her, and hugged her. It was still foreign, even after all the touches and hugs the woman had given him during his stay. Foreign, yes, but nice. Not smothering or overbearing. But...nice. The bed shifted behind him, and Lucius held him from behind. Harry relaxed slightly, putting his head on Narcissa's shoulder.

"Thank you. For everything." Harry said quietly.

"So...you are accepting our offer?" Lucius asked, and Harry tried to keep from squirming. Lucius was sitting awfully close to him. Two insanely attractive, powerful people were holding him tightly between them, and Harry didn't want to leave. Lucius smelt good, like his aftershave, and Narcissa smelt like honey and ginger- he could even feel the faint vibration of their combined magics rubbing up against his skin. Together, it was rather overwhelming. No wonder they fit so well together...

"Yes." Harry breathed, trying to calm himself down. These people were going to be adopting him. God, what was he getting himself into?

He then looked to Lucius, and smiled up at him, trying to hide his nervousness. "But you must know that I will never think of you as Mother and Father. I might call you that, for show, perhaps around the reporters and politicians" All three smirked at this. Harry knew he'd said the right thing. "But I think all of us know...that I don't think I will ever think of you in a...parental way." He said softly, looking at the two of them shyly.

He stood, ignoring their expressions for now. He gave the slightest of bows. "Goodnight. It is late, and Draco and I will be returning to Hogwarts in the morning. Again, I give you my thanks."

"...I will have the paperwork ready in the morning." Lucius said casually,as if they weren't doing something that would send the reporters into a tizzy.

Harry flashed him a smile, and walked out the door.

Narcissa and Lucius shared a look.

"Narcissa..."

"I know." Narcissa smiled at the door the boy had just left through. The woman's smile turned predatory as she turned to her husband. "But for now..."

Lucius grabbed her and pulled her into a rough kiss. He pulled away, eyes dark. "We're doing the right thing, right?" He asked, getting on top of her. "If the Dark Lord returns..."

"He will either have a well trained follower...or a powerful adversary. Either way, Harry will be at our side." Narcissa closed her eyes as her husband's hands opened her dressing robe, revealing her skin. "He has no idea how powerful he is..." She whispered.

Lucius kissed her neck, stroking her skin. "I think he does."

Narcissa gave him a lazy smile, holding him close. "He could be so much more...and we will watch over him when Severus can't."

Lucius spread her legs, rolling his hips against hers. "I wish he was our child, but..."

Narcissa smirked. "I know, darling." She leant in, kissing him deeply.

x-x-x

Harry grimaced as the Blood Quill stung at his hand, his signature upon the parchment in dark red. His adoption papers. The Malfoys would be sending them off that very day, and would try to hold off on the papers getting a hold of the information for a least a few days, to give Harry and Draco some time to get settled into Hogwarts.

Draco was standing at his Mother and Father's side, frowning slightly. He was clearly not happy about the adoption, but there was nothing he could do about it. Severus was there as well, and the two of them would stand in as witnesses. They signed their names, and all was well.

Narcissa gave her son a hug and a kiss goodbye, and Lucius said his goodbyes as well. Harry gave Narcissa a brief kiss on the cheek goodbye, and did the same for Lucius. It would be improper, normally, but they were...Family now. How strange.

Harry and Draco went through the floo, and arrived back in the Slytherin common room. They had the day to settle back in, as the other students wouldn't return until later on in the day, because of the train. Harry was happy to get some perks as a Slytherin. Indeed, most of their housemates had returned already.

A good amount of their housemates approached them at their arrival. "Oh Harry, I loved your gifts." Millie said, hugging him tightly. Harry hugged her back. He exchanged greetings with the others, catching Flint's eye at some point. He sent a wink at the boy, and made the fifth year scowl, and stomp off to the dorms. Harry laughed softly.

"Alright, I have to go see Dean- I'll be back soon enough." He waved the others off, and left the common room. Dean wasn't that hard to find. He was in the loo that the Twins had taken over as their base of operations. They had potions brewing there, and Harry was rather shocked that the place hadn't been found yet.

"Harry!" Dean cried, and the twins perked up at the sight of him.

Harry hugged Dean tightly, and Dean shoved him away playfully, messing up his hair. "How were your hols?" Harry asked.

"Same ol', same 'ol. Pranked filch, helped out Hagrid with some stuff, pranked Ron, you know. You?"

"Shopping with Narcissa, tutoring." Harry made a face at this. "Oh, and I was adopted."

Dean frowned. "Yeah?"

Harry glanced away uncomfortably. "It's just a protection thing. It doesn't mean anything. You're invited for the summer hols, if you want to come."

"Oh. That's cool." Dean said quietly.

Harry looked to the twins. "You better not tell anyone- we don't want the papers finding out just yet."

They raised their hands, looking completely innocent. Note the sarcasm.

"So...does that make you Malfoy's brother?" Fred asked with a grin.

"Yeah mate, does that mean we have to stop pranking him?"

Harry groaned. "Look, don't tell me anything, so I can tell him I have no involvement. Yeah, he might be a spoiled prat, but I have to live with him." He looked to the brews. "What are these?"

"Oh...all sorts of stuff. Want to try it out?" Dean asked with a roguish grin.

"Fuck no. Who knows what that shit will do to me."

"Hey, we heard a funny story over the holidays. Seamus told me. It's about Flitwick's little brother..."

(a/n: Does anyone else love Harry Potter the Musical as much as I do?)

x-x-x

Harry went back to his room that evening, and found a package waiting for him on his bed. It was soft and squashy, and there was a small tag on it. A late Yule gift? Harry looked at the note. It was unsigned, and all it said was-_ use it well_- in loopy handwriting. Harry opened the package, eyes widening at the soft cloak. He pulled it on, gasping in shock. He couldn't see the rest of his body! This was an invisibility cloak!

Oh, he was going to have so much fun with this... tonight, he would go to the Restricted Section!

x-x-x

A few days later, Harry was sleepily eating his breakfast when the post arrived. He hadn't slept very long the night before- he'd spent most of it reading in the Restricted Section, just like he had for the past few nights. Owls dropped off their packages and delivered their letters, and Harry was barely aware of everyone's voices quieting slightly.

Harry glanced around and saw his Housemates staring at their newspapers, some of them glancing his way. Oh. Oh!

Harry grabbed a paper, and looked at the front page. His picture was there- someone must have taken a picture of him at the ball. He was talking quietly with Narcissa, while Draco and his Father were shaking hands with the Minister of Magic and some famous quidditch player.

_BOY WHO LIVED NOW A MALFOY!_

_Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, has been adopted by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. It was just made official yesterday morning, the papers signed the day that Mr. Potter and Draco Malfoy, Lord and Lady Malfoy's son, were to return to Hogwarts. Harry Potter has not taken their name, as Draco Malfoy is the Heir and Eldest to Lord and Lady Malfoy. Mr. Potter is Heir to both the Potter and Black Lordship in his own right.  
_

_Yes, that's right, Mr. Potter is Heir of the Black family as well! His Godfather, the notorious Sirius Black, named him heir before he was sent to Azkaban. Mr. Potter's Grandmother on his Father's side was also a Black. It is estimated with the combination of the two Estates, Mr. Potter will be one of the most wealthiest young men in Europe!  
_

_Mr. Potter was seen at the infamous Malfoy Yule Ball during the Christmas Holidays. In the picture above, he is speaking to his adoptive Mother, Narcissa. It is said that the two of them have become close quite quickly. Guests at the ball said that Mr. Potter was charming and delightful, and was well versed in politics and social events. It is said that Mr. Potter grew up in the muggle world, but he is quickly assimilating himself to wizarding society. Mr. Potter, a first year Slytherin at Hogwarts, is Housemates with his adoptive brother, Draco.  
_

_It is reported that the two boys are friendly and get on rather well. Both are popular in their year, and have high scores in their classes. Lord and Lady Malfoy spoke to reporters briefly last night in their home about the adoption.  
_

_"We were more than happy to adopt Harry. He is like another son to us. We always wanted to have more children, and Draco is thrilled to have a sibling." Lord Malfoy said, with his wife at his side.  
_

_"Harry is a very sweet boy, and a treasure to have around. We are happy to open our home to him. He had little love and happiness while growing up in the muggle world, and we hope to provide that for him."  
_

_Even the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge had something to say. "I am very pleased at this turn of events. There is no better family around to raise Mr. Potter. He is a fine young man, and I hope to see him around the Ministry one day!"  
_

And on it went. Harry was rather disgusted at the article- all sorts of high society people bragging about him and the Malfoys- he vaguely recognized the names of some of the people he met. He glanced over at Draco, who was scowling at the newspaper. Harry nudged his foot under the table, making a face.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" Harry said, smiling slightly.

"I'd say." Draco groused. He glance around at all the whispering and staring people. The Slytherins would never do such a thing, but that didn't keep the students at the other tables from doing it.

"Well, it'll die down soon. Want to get out of here?"

"Sure."

The two of them stood and gathered their things. They headed for the doors, and met up with Quirrel. He was just heading out as well.

"C-Congratulations on your a-adoption, Mr. P-P-Potter." Quirrel stuttered, and turned to Draco. He shook Draco's hand, which was rather odd. "And to you too Mr. M-Malfoy. Glad to have a b-b-brother?"

"Yes sir." Draco said, furrowing his brow as the Professor walked out. The two of them exchanged a look. How strange.

x-x-x

Harry was wandering the corridors. It was late at night, and he couldn't sleep. He didn't feel like holing himself up at the library again. He was shuffling under his invisibility cloak, hoping to bump into some naughty students in a tryst. He hadn't fooled around with anyone since coming back to school, although he had flirted a bit with Flint. The boy grew a bit flustered, but hadn't been broken yet. Yet, being the key word.

Harry did happen to find an empty classroom, with a large mirror that stood in the corner of it. Harry approached the mirror, feeling a bit confused. What was this doing here? Usually something as nice as this would be set up in one of the main corridors or something. Harry pulled off his cloak as he approached, freezing as he saw his reflection.

He whipped around, seeing no one else there. He looked back. The expression on his face changed as he touched the mirror tentatively.

"This can't be real." He whispered.

x-x-x

Harry rolled over the top of a desk, yanked it down so that it created a barrier between himself and the spellfire. He peeked up, shooting off a spell, and then another.

"Fuck Flint, you're really going all out today." Harry groused, flinching as a hex barely passed him.

"You didn't practice over the hols. I'm surprised. Lucius forget to train his boy?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "He spent most of his time with Draco, if you must know. We will start our training during the summer hols. And I'm not his fucking Boy!" The battered desk was flipped aside and crashed noisily into the wall.

Harry skid back, blocking a jab from Flint. The older boy moved like a machine- apparently all that quidditch training kept him in shape. Harry blocked another jab, punching the guy in the shoulder. Flint was knocked back, but only slightly.

"That didn't hurt, you little runt-"

"Well, if you'd just give me my weapons, I'd hurt you a lot more." Harry snapped back. Flint shoved him to the ground, and Harry kicked his legs, making Flint fall as well. Harry got on top of him, and yanked at his hair.

"You fight like a fucking girl. Did you seriously just fucking pull my hair?" Flint growled, grabbing Harry's hands and pinning them behind his back. He rolled on top of Harry, letting go of his arms with one of his hands.

Harry laughed. Flint hit the back of his head. "Focus, Potter."

Harry still laughed, wriggling underneath him. It was then that Flint noticed their position. As quick as lightning, the older boy got off of him. "I know what you're doing. It's not going to work." Flint muttered.

Harry sat up slightly on his elbows, still panting with exertion. He was still grinning like mad. His robes were in a dissaray, as was his hair. He looked well and truly shagged, and he knew it. Harry brought up his leg slightly, opening them to the other boy in invitation.

"Oh come on, I've seen the way you look at me." Harry grinned.

Flint lunged forward, eyes wild, grabbing him by the throat. "You fucking slut, why are you doing this? Huh? You're just a kid, what do you know about fucking, huh?"

Harry was still smiling, even though his windpipe was blocked. He couldn't answer of course, but Flint knew then by the boy's smile.

"Fuck...you've done it, haven't you? But...you're just a kid..." Flint murmured, anger fading. His grip eased on the other boy's throat.

"That doesn't stop anyone." Harry said, his voice hoarse.

Flint ran his hands over Harry's shoulders and arms, checking over for injuries. Right. Injuries.

"Who? Was it Nott?"

"Nott?" Harry echoed.

"All of us know not to be alone with him. He was there at the party, and I saw you talking to him."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Flint, look, I can take care of myself. He didn't hurt me. Even if he did, he wouldn't have been the first..."

"No you can't- wait...what?"

Harry just gave him a Look. "Forget about it." He reached up, tracing a finger lightly over Flint's lips. "Look, what I do...is what I want to do. No one is forcing me to come on to you. You're fit, powerful, and I like you. I think we could be good friends."

"Friends don't shag each other. And you're just a kid."

Harry rolled his hips slowly against Flint's. Flint shuddered at the movement, closing his eyes. Harry leant in, and whispered in his ear. "Haven't you ever heard of something called Friends with benefits? And I'm not a kid. I might look it, yeah, but I'm not a kid." He stroked the boy's neck light, pressing a kiss against an earlobe.

"Flint...you need someone to help you out. The others all got their lovers- you could have your pick, yet you remain alone. Why?"

"...I don't want the distraction. I have...my duties." Flint breathed, hands slowly coming to rest on Harry's hips, attempting to still them.

"I can help you, you know. You help me, I help you. You're so stressed out...it surely can't be good for you. Let me help you." Harrry pressed another kiss to the boy's neck. "We'll have some fun, burn a few calories, and...well, I can be someone you can talk to. About anything."

Flint opened his eyes slowly, looking at the boy. "Why?"

Harry leant in, kissing the corner of his mouth softly. "Lots of reasons. But I do know that you need my help. If it helps...I can swear that anything that happens between us will remain private."

"Swear on your magic?" Flint said, his dark eyes dropping to Harry's lips.

"Yes." Harry said, smiling slightly. "And you? I have a lot to lose too, you know."

"Yes." Flint nodded. The spell was cast, and Harry's smile widened. He pressed his lips against Flint's hungrily.

The boy was unresponsive, for the smallest of moments, but quickly returned the kiss. They were both sweaty from their training, but neither of them cared. One of Flint's hands quickly found its way in Harry's hair, tugging his ponytail free. Harry groaned, his head falling back. The older boy kissed his neck.

Harry untucked Flint's shirt with an artful tug, and Flint did the same. Their hands went all over, groping, kissing hungrily. Harry rolled on top of the boy, straddling his waist. Flint barely had time to breathe as Harry yanked at his shirt, sending the buttons flying all about the room. Harry groaned, wriggling against him, hands sliding up and down a bare chest.

Flint sat up, not wanting the other boy to take control. He grabbed his bum, squeezing it tight, pressing down so that Harry knew he was hard. Harry arched up against him, and started to unbutton his own shirt. They ground against each other for a bit. Flint pinned him down to the floor, attacking his neck with fevor.

"Goddess, you taste so good." The boy muttered, hand stealing into the front of Harry's trousers. Harry stiffened at the touch, mouth dropping open. Flint's hands were large and calloused from flying a broom, and he was built so well.

Harry slid his hand into Flint's trousers, toes curling inside his shoes as he quickly measured the boy's prick in his hand. He was a good size, better than average. Good. They kissed each other hungrily, lips and teeth mashing against each other. There was nothing beautiful about it- it was frenzied, exhilirating, and oh so dirty...

Harry was cumming not too much later, arching up into Flint's talented hand. The boy had bit into his neck, nearly breaking skin. Harry knew he would have bruises later, but he didn't care. He cried out, riding out his orgasm. It was good. Very good.

He quickened his own hand, wanting the other boy to get off as well. It didn't take long. Flint had released a jolt of power as he came, and it felt comforting, like a warm blanket. Harry curled himself into the boy's side, resting his head on Flint's well muscled shoulder, listening to his pounding heartbeat. Now he understood why cumming with a wizard was so much better...you got more out of it. It wasn't just the sex, but the release of magic... so fulfilling. Flint rolled them over slightly, draping his arm over Harry's smaller form. Harry wrapped an arm loosely around the boy's trim waist, catching his breath.

"I can't believe I did this. I'm no pedophile." Flint sounded so disgusted with himself, and Harry could understand why. He was lying half on top of Harry, their bodies sweaty and soiled from their hurried coupling. He was heavy, but to Harry, the weight on top of him felt good.

"I know. But I'm special. Don't worry about it." Harry whispered into his ear, trying to make him feel better. "And Your magic feels so lovely." He groaned, shuddering as another spike went through him.

Flint stiffened slightly in his loose embrace. "You can feel it?"

"...oh yeah." Harry murmured. "It comes out when you duel, or when we're very close. And when you cum. It's somewhat similar to the Malfoy's magic, or Severus'..."

"Wait, you and them...?"

"Oh! No." Harry giggled. "No, I didn't do anything with them. But their magic feels good too. There is a reason why I hang around them after all."

"Harry...are you telling me you can feel magic?"

Harry sighed, fiddling with one of the few buttons on Flint's open shirt. He smirked as he saw the scratch marks on the boy's rather well built chest. "Not everyone's. Just...certain people."

Flint turned his head, so that they were facing each other. He looked completely serious. "Dark wizards." He murmured.

Harry gave him a small smile, and kissed him deeply. "Right in one, duckling."

Flint pulled away, sitting up. His dark hair was messy and ruffled, and he was still sweaty from their activities. "Are you okay with me being..."

Harry sat up as well, grimacing at the mess in and on his trousers. With a flick of his wand, it was gone. "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Are you..."

"I don't know. Narcissa and Lucius seemed to think I had the inclination for it. I've picked up a few spells here and there, small things, but...I don't know."

"Morgana, this is huge." Flint whispered, looking conflicted. "If everyone knew..."

"Which is why they won't know." Harry said sharply, giving him a Look.

"Of course." Flint said, and gave Harry a quick smile. Harry had never really seen the boy smile before. It was strange. "I wouldn't betray your secrets. Not after the oath. But they know? And Professor Snape knows?"

Harry nodded. "And now you."

Harry rolled up his sleeve to adjust his dagger holster when Flint's eyes widened. "That's not your usual dagger."

Harry glanced at it. "Oh, I got it over the hols."

Flint grabbed his arm and yanked it over so he could get a better look at it. "Fuck, that's the Prince crest. Who gave this to you?" He sounded a little hysterical.

"Professor Snape did."

The boy paled rapidly, and started getting dressed quickly. "Fuck! Shit!"

Harry looked at him worriedly. "What?"

Flint looked terribly scared for some reason, which was very strange. Harry frowned. "What's wrong?"

"That dagger...do you know what that means?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "Um...well, I was told that it meant I was under Severus' protection."

Flint looked distressed, running a hand through his hair. He repaired his shirt, quickly buttoning it.

"Fuck, it's more than that! Snape claimed you."

Harry stood slowly. "What?" His voice flattened.

"He claimed you. Not only are you under his protection, but he claimed you as his own... it's sort of an old tradition. Basically...uh, anyone who messes around with you has to deal with him first. Has to get permission."

"What?" Harry repeated, feeling angry. Why hadn't Severus told him? What the hell was this all about?

"Oh fuck, I can't believe...look, Harry, we can't fool around...Merlin, I'm going to be in so much trouble."

Harry scowled. "No. You won't be. Let me talk to Severus." Harry growled, and left the room, not even bothering to pull his robes back on or attempt to heal or cover up his marks.

The boy stalked over to Severus' office, and didn't even bother knocking on the door when he entered the room. Severus sat at his desk, grading papers. The man barely had time to react before the boy was already at him.

Snape reacted quickly, grabbing Harry and slamming him against the wall. He took in the boy's furious look, his rolled up sleeve, his marks, and mussed look.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry snarled, hitting his arm. "Get the fuck off of me!" He shoved at the man's chest, but Snape held fast.

Severus stared down at the boy. "It's just for your protection-"

"So I have to ask you permission everytime I want to fuck someone? God-" Severus held on tight while Harry tried to shove him away. "Get the fuck off of me!"

"No. Now listen, you little brat, and listen well. I gave you that dagger for your protection. I gave you that dagger to prevent anyone else from doing the same. It will grant me certain rights in certain circles, so that if anything were to...occur, I would be able to punish the wrong-doers accordingly."

"What?" Harry breathed, calming down slightly.

"Take the instance of Lord Nott. If he were to attack you again, it would be within my rights to call for an honor duel. If you were ever interested in pursuing a relationship with someone, they would have to seek permission from me first. That would allow me to check their background, their family history, and see if you would be safe with them. This also allows me access to your own information, and I will be notified if anyone attempts to write you into a marriage contract. Normally daggers are passed through the family, but it means something entirely else if that person is not family."

"Oh."

Severus watched Harry curl into himself, looked ashamed. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Who was it?" Severus asked quietly, leading him to a chair. Harry sat down, burying his face in his hands.

"Flint. We were...fooling around. He saw the dagger, and freaked."

"And rightly so." Severus said darkly, frowning. There was a knock at the office door.

Severus gave him a Look, and went to the door. Flint stood there, looking pale and shaken. Severus' lips thinned, and he allowed the boy inside.

"I gave a Vow to never reveal any of Harry's secrets." Flint blurted as soon as he entered the room. "Including this. I am sorry sir, I was not aware that he held your Dagger."

"But you have been sparring, correct?" Severus said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Harry, who was still sitting, face buried in his hands, spoke. "I've been using my other dagger to spar with."

Severus and Flint looked at each other consideringly. "How long has this been going on?"

"The sparring?" The young man looked a bit confused.

"No, the fucking." Severus said harshly, eyes hardening.

Flint colored. "We've never...we...today was the first time we...fooled around. I'm sorry sir. It won't happen again."

"It best n-"

Harry stood at this, angry. "No! Severus, you can't do this!"

Severus gave him a Look. Technically, he could.

Flint looked apologetic. "I'm sorry Harry, but-"

"No, this isn't...this isn't fair." Harry said, shaking his head. "You can't do this to me. I should have the right-"

"It's for your safety." Severus said with a growl.

"You're just jealous!" Harry yelled back. Flint took a step back at this, swallowing thickly.

Severus looked furious. "I am not jealous!"

"Then why are you keeping me from doing anything, huh? Just because you're too noble to fuck me doesn't mean I can't fool around with anyone else!"

Flint's eyes went round at this. Uh oh.

Snape stalked over to the boy, and went to grab him. Harry dodged just out of the way, and went around the desk. Snape chased after him, grabbing him by the back of his shirt, and yanking him around.

Flint's jaw dropped as Snape shoved Harry against the wall, and held him by the throat. There was a long moment, the two of them staring into each others' eyes. Flint suddenly felt as though he was intruding on something private, that he shouldn't be there.

Snape's grip eased, and the boy leant against the man's chest, burying his face into a broad shoulder. Harry sighed, turning his head so that he could look at Flint.

Snape spoke quietly. "Harry, you and Flint can carry on. However, you will not dally with anyone else. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." Harry whispered, closing his eyes. Flint had never seen the boy so...submissive before. What exactly was the relationship between the student and their Professor?

"If I hear that you have been with anyone else, I will not allow you and Flint to be together any longer- you will just have to take care of your own...needs. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." The boy breathed, so quiet and still. So different. Flint had never seen this side of the boy before. He also couldn't believe that he and Harry would still be able to fool around. What was he getting himself into?

"Harry, go to your dorm room and get cleaned up. Flint and I need to talk."

Harry just gave a small nod, and left the room quickly.

Severus and Flint exchanged a look. The boy looked nervous, but intrigued. It helped that Flint was a hard worker, and one of the best duelists in the House. There was a reason why the Boy was one of the Leaders. "Sit."

Flint sat down, but not hastily. Severus sat down as well, studying him carefully.

"I know you, Flint. You would never allow yourself to get mixed up in this sort of thing without a good reason."

Flint looked away, considering his answer. "He offered me something that no one else really has before. Someone to talk to. Someone to trust. Everyone has their own plans, their own ends. With him...it's different."

"You didn't see the dagger until afterwards?"

"...No sir. Sir...why did you really give him the dagger?"

Severus sighed. "What I told him was the truth. If he was older, I would be interested in pursuing him. But he is still a child, and my student. If I was caught, I would lose my job, my Mastery, and probably thrown into Azkaban, considering my background. Far too many risks."

"Why are you allowing us to be together?"

"You can help keep him in line, at least, here at the school. I cannot be everywhere. Lucius and Narcissa are already helping in their own way, and so shall you. What's more, you're training him when I cannot. I want people to respect him, I want people to look to him as a role model. That cannot happen if there are rumors flitting about that he's the school slut."

Flint blushed slightly at this. "So...is it true that he's not a virgin?"

Severus looked away at this. "That is for Harry to talk to you about." He said quietly. "I'm placing quite a bit of trust in you. Don't fail me."

"...I won't, sir." Flint murmured.

"My door is open to you, if you ever need to talk. Harry is not the only one who can keep secrets."

x-x-x

What do you guys think? A lot happened in this chapter, no? Hope you like the smut, even if it got really complicated. For those of you who wanted Harry and Flint together, I hope you're happy. Oh, and don't worry. Harry will flirt with other people still, even if he's restricted to Flint right now. Right now, being the key words. Thanks for reading!

P.S- make sure to check out my other work. Info is on my profile page.


	12. Chapter 12

Love In the Dark

Chapter Twelve. Fantastic reviews everyone. I was kind of sad that some people hadn't signed in so I couldn't respond to their awesome reviews, but that's okay. Lots of stuff will be happening in this chapter. Hints of the Smut, definitely, and drama. Okay, so here we go!

x-x-x

It was a few days after the announcement about the adoption in the papers. Draco was slowly understanding what life for Harry was like- people constantly whispered and stared at them both. At first, Draco hadn't minded the attention, but it was getting old pretty fast. Harry threw himself back into his training with Flint and Ella, his...other projects, starting to figure out how he was going to approach the girls in his year about training them in defense, and what he could possibly teach them.

One evening, Harry was in the library, trying to figure out a lesson plan when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. He turned, and did a double take. A girl stood there- she had to be an upper year, most likely a sixth or a seventh year. She had a heart shaped face, short black hair in a pixie cut, and hufflepuff robes on. Her body language and facial structure screamed a noble bloodline, yet she wore Doc Martins.

"Wotcher. Could we talk?" She asked quietly.

Harry furrowed his brow, but nodded. Who was this, and what did she want with him? Upper year students, out of Slytherin House, didn't do or say much to him. He was only a first year after all.

The girl sat next to him, and Harry glanced at the books she sat down on the table. Defense textbooks, as well a law book. Hmm. Interesting.

"I'm Tonks. I...just wanted to introduce myself. We're relatives now, you see?"

Harry looked at her carefully. "You're Andromeda's daughter."

Tonks smiled brightly at this. "Yeah." She looked down, fiddling with the cover of one of her books. "I just wanted to introduce myself, is all. I guess you've heard about us, then?"

"Andromeda married a muggleborn, then was disowned from the Black family." Harry said softly, studying her face. Yeah, he could definitely see the resemblance to some of the pictures that Narcissa had of the three Black sisters. "Narcissa actually didn't blame her for wanting to get away. Getting engaged to some ugly pureblood guy would make any woman run off and get married to someone else."

Tonks frowned slightly at this, but didn't argue with Harry. "Um...so I'm a Seventh year Hufflepuff. I guess that's a first for our family, huh? Being in Hufflepuff? Even Mum was in Slytherin, and Dad was in Ravenclaw. So...do you like it in Slytherin?"

Harry gave her a small smile, and he saw her relax a bit. "Yeah, I do. Actually, the people there are a lot nicer than you think. They just pretend to be mean and stand-offish to keep their reputations."

Tonks grinned at this. "Yeah?"

Harry looked down at his notes. "Yeah. Most of the time, everything's alright. Snape looks after us, you know."

Tonks followed his gaze. "Oh, looking up Defense spells? Want some help? I'm not too shabby in Defense."

Harry glanced back at her textbooks, and she laughed softly. "I'm going into training for the Aurors as soon as I graduate. The Ministry recruited me ages ago- I even started summer training sessions two years ago."

Harry's brow rose. "Really? Why you?"

Tonks glanced about, making sure they were alone. Her formally inky dark hair slowly shifted into a bright purple. "I'm a metamorph."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "Damn. Now I can see why."

Tonks' hair went back to black. "I can't tell anyone here, it's not allowed. But you're family, so..."

"Wow...that's amazing." Harry thought about it for a moment. "I remember reading about it the Malfoy's library. It's a family trait, eh?"

"Well, it is hereditary, but it is so rare that there hasn't been one in hundreds of years."

Harry fiddled with his quill. "So...what kind of training have you had?"

Tonks gave a slight shrug. "Physical combat, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Tracking...not too good at that yet. But I'm good at stealth, of course."

"I heard there aren't many women who make it as an Auror...aren't you worried?"

Tonks gave him a sad smile. "No. Not really. I'm used to being on my own."

At Harry's expression, she explained. "I used to have pretty crap control over my abilities- I couldn't explain them off to any muggle mates, and because the Ministry recruiting me so early, we wanted to keep them a secret. So...no wizarding friends either. At least, until I could gain some control. But...anyways, I'll be leaving here pretty soon, and all of my fellow Aurors will know, so I don't have to hide with them."

Harry looked down at his notes. "I was thinking about teaching Defense to the kids in my year." He blurted. He hadn't planned on saying that, but he did. He glanced shyly at Tonks. He had to play this just right... "I'm sure you realize that Quirrel is a joke. The boys get training from their fathers, but the girls? Not much physical training there. And who knows what sort of crap the boys are learning. I don't want my friends to be defenseless if trouble came around, you know?"

"...You want some help?" Tonks asked, as Harry knew she would. Harry grinned brightly at this. The two of them looked over Harry's notes.

x-x-x

Marcus laid upon the dusty floor of the training room, eyes closed and feeling exhausted. Harry slid up, and kissed his neck. "You alright Flint?"

The boy opened his eyes slowly. "You really should call me Marcus, considering where your mouth just was."

Harry's lips quirked into a smile, and he licked them enticingly. "...Marcussss..." He purred against his neck.

Marcus shuddered slightly at this, and he pushed Harry off of him. "We really should get back to training. Where did that spell come from earlier, anyways?"

Harry sat up, and started buttoning his shirt once more. "A friend."

Marcus gave him a Look. Harry laughed. "Really, she's just a friend. Tonks."

"She's an Auror Recruit." Flint said with a frown. "Why are you hanging around her?"

"...How did you know?"

Flint sat up as well, buttoning his own shirt, tucking himself back into his trousers. "I like to be informed of...well, potential danger."

"She's family, you know." Harry said, pulling his hair back.

"Her line was disowned." Flint replied, still frowning.

"Fuck you." Harry groused. "You can't stop me from hanging out with her."

"It sounds like it's more than hanging out, if you learnt a Defense spell from her."

Harry just smiled. "I can't pick up spells from my friends? You're just jealous that I got you that time."

Flint pulled on his jumper, his hair ruffling up. "She's bad news. Don't hang around her. She's a muggle-lover, and a halfblood-"

"I'm a halfblood." Harry pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest.

Flint's lips thinned at this. "Don't remind me."

Harry's eyes sparked with anger, and he shoved the boy on the arm. "I thought you were smart enough to realize that people can be powerful no matter what their background is. And you can't tell me who my friends can and can't be. Anyways, she's helping me."

"With what?"

Harry turned away slightly. "Stuff."

"Like what?" Flint asked testily.

"Just...Defense. I know I'm getting help from you and Severus, of course, but you two teach me different things than she does. Do you blame me for wanting a well-rounded education?"

"She's just a girl."

"Just a girl that was trained by Mad-Eye-Moody." Harry pointed out.

Flint's eyes went round at this. "What? But...he's retired! She's lying!"

Harry just gave Flint a wry smile. "Apparently they brought him in just to train her. Only her. With specialized training like that, she's going to be one heck of an Auror one day. Do you blame me for wanting to be friendly with her?"

"Fuck Harry, how do you just...fall into these things?"

Harry gave him a little smile, pecking the boy's cheek. "Just lucky, I suppose. Now, let's get back to dueling."

x-x-x

"I can't believe you roped me into this." Harry groused, stumbling after Dean in the darkness. The two of them were serving Detention in the Forbidden Forest, after they had been caught doing a prank with the twins. The twins were off in another part of the Forest, as was Hagrid, and they were all searching for something that was killing Unicorns.

Harry didn't want to be anywhere near anything that was killing Unicorns, but a detention is a detention.

Dean sighed roughly. "Look, I'm sorry."

"I'm missing a training session with Flint." Harry muttered. "He's going to be pissed at me."

Dean gave him a Look. "A training session? Or a _training_ session?"

"Fuck you Dean." Harry muttered. "I'm doing a lot more than fooling around these days, which is more than I can say about you."

Dean frowned. "You've changed."

Harry pushed back some branches. "So have you. You would never gotten caught before. Those twins are making you reckless."

"You used to be so...nice."

Harry laughed harshly. "Dean, I was just better at hiding it back in the muggle world. I had to be. And...I've got responsibilities here."

"Yeah...all that bloody money and hanging out with those posh bastards." Dean muttered.

Harry grabbed him by the arm, turning Dean around to face him. "Dean...look, do you actually think I like hanging out with all those snobs? I hate it. It's dreadfully boring, and they're just a bunch of hypocrites. I do it because I have to- they...expect a lot out of me." Harry ended quietly. "I'm getting training with...well, I'm getting a lot of training because of it...and it's exhausting."

Dean was quiet for a long time, and the two of them began to walk once more.

"I'm sorry." Dean said eventually. "I know it's hard for you, being here. It's hard for me too. I...feel like I don't belong here."

"I know." Harry squeezed his shoulder. "I wish I didn't have to hide, but...we have to, you know?"

Dean stilled. "You hear that?"

Both stood still, Dean drawing out his dagger, while Harry took out his gun. They silently walked around the corner, and stopped. A unicorn laid on the ground there- beautiful and tragic looking. Something was drinking its blood.

Harry held up his hand to Dean. One, two, three! Harry let his gun go off, nicking the Being in the shoulder. Birds and other creatures cried out into the night at the loud noise.

"Damn." Harry muttered. It was hard to get a shot when it moved so quickly . The cloaked figure stood, silvery blood dribbling from his lips. Harry let off another shot, in the shoulder. The Being was knocked back, looking as though he was shocked.

Harry and Dean fell back as the cloaked being lunged forward, but he was cut off by a huge thing kicking him away.

Harry fell to the ground, and Dean was shaking at his side, his dagger still in his hands.

"Get away Creature!" Dean cried out, frightened.

The thing turned to them, and Harry realized it was a centaur, and the thing had just saved their lives. The Centaur looked down, at Harry, and then at Dean.

"You are not safe here."

"No shit, sherlock." Dean muttered, dagger still trained upon the Centaur. "What are you?"

Harry stood up shakily. "He's a Centaur." He said quietly, and approached him. He gave a slight bow. "Thank you for saving our lives. We are in your debt. I am Harry Potter, and this is my friend Dean Thomas. How can we repay you?"

"My name is Firenze, and you are in danger, Harry Potter."

x-x-x

Dean and Harry trekked back to the school, following Hagrid and the twins. The twins looked pretty shaken up after the boys and Firenze had told their story. Hagrid didn't approve of Harry having a muggle weapon, but promised not to tell the Headmaster as it had saved his and Dean's life.

Harry pulled his arm through Dean's, just like how they used to. "Are you okay?" Harry asked softly.

"That's the thousandth time you've saved my life." Dean said quietly.

Harry gave him a small smile. "I still owe you."

Dean sighed roughly. "Harry..."

"It's nothing, Dean. I owe you a lot. You know I do. Hey...you should come to our meeting!"

"Meeting?"

Harry grinned. "Ass-Kicking Defense Association. AKDA for short."

Dean snorted. "Wow. Seriously?"

"Look, it's just a few of us getting together. I know you're probably rusty, and some of these other firsties are pretty soft. You want to come and help me out?"

"...are there just Slytherins coming?" Dean asked cautiously.

"No. I've got a few others. Granger will be there."

Dean laughed. "She approve of the group name?"

Harry gave him a smirk. "No. Not yet. She'll probably throw a fit. Come on, please come! It'll be a lot more fun with you there."

"...Alright. I'll come. But only too see Malfoy's ass being kicked."

Harry laughed.

Dean gave him a small smile, but it eased slightly. "Look...what I said earlier..."

Harry sighed. "I know. You and me, we go a long way. We've been through a lot of shit together." Harry squeezed his arm. "You know, you should meet some friends of mine."

Dean gave him a Look. "What sort of friends?"

Harry gave him a secretive smile. "The sort of friends that I think you'll get along with just fine."

Dean's stare grew hard. "You mean..."

"Yeah. I found a way to sneak out not too long after the hols, especcially with that cloak I told you about. Getting to Knockturne after that was a piece of cake. You and me, we'll stir up a bit of trouble, have some fun like the old days." Harry giggled quietly. "What do you say?"

Dean gave him a rougish grin. "Dress code?"

"Wear an unmarked cloak, and you'll fit right in."

x-x-x

Marcus sat in front of Snape's desk, feeling a bit nervous. His Head of House was grading papers, waiting for an elf to bring them tea. Marcus was aware of the man's history with the Dark Lord- who wasn't? And Snape was a very powerful duelist and Potion Master. He was acknowledged one of the best in the country. And this man had Claimed Marcus' lover. It was more than enough to make him nervous, and Marcus didn't get nervous very easily.

The tea arrived, the House Elf putting it on the desk. Snape put his papers aside, and flicked his wrist, a casual show of wandless magic to prepare their tea. Marcus shifted in his seat nervously. He was used to dealing with dangerous people, but not many could say that they could perform wandless magic.

"I believe you should call me Severus."

"Sir?"

The man handed Marcus his tea, and the young man accepted it, but did not drink it.

"I'm sure you've realized by now that I've researched your Family's history. All of it." Snape murmured, taking his own teacup. "I have the right, of course."

Their eyes met, and Marcus kept his gaze. "So...you know, then."

"Yes. And now I can understand why you've been trained so much. When will you be in the program?"

"I already am." Marcus watched Severus carefully. The man had known.

"Training Harry as you have has broken a great number of regulations."

"I haven't broken any regulations, technically."

Severus' eyes sharpened at this. "They're interested?"

"They see his potential."

Severus set his teacup down, face twisting. "He's only a first year. He hasn't even been in the wizarding world all that long."

"Do you honestly believe that he's only been to Knockturne once? That he's safe and snug in his bed every single night?" Marcus asked, his voice darkening. "He's being watched, at least, when he's outside the school."

"Damn it." Severus muttered. "How am I to keep him safe when he..."

"I know." Marcus said quietly. "I've been watching over him. He...isn't getting into too much trouble. Sir...Severus, I think he knows more than anyone what's coming. He's...preparing."

"Of course he is." Severus said wryly, putting his head in his hands.

x-x-x

"Welcome to the very first meeting of the Ass-Kicking Defense Association, or AKDA for short."

He stood in front of a small group of people, feeling rather nervous. Spring was just around the corner, providing them just enough time to get the basics down before term ended. This was sort of...a practice run before the real thing, the real training began. Millie, Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass, and Pansy stood to one side, looking distrustfully at Granger, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbot. Blaise Zabini and Draco were glaring at Dean and Dean looked rather nervous being there.

"Do you really have to name it that? Why can't it just be Defense Association?" Granger asked, as Harry knew she would.

Harry rolled his eyes. "It sounds cooler this way. We have to have a cool name, you know, it will encourage more people to join us." He grinned. "Now, all of us here have a variety of training when it comes to Defense. We're all in agreement that Quirrel sucks, and we need to learn how to defend ourselves."

It had been easy to talk to the Slytherin girls- after telling them it had been Narcissa's idea, they all wanted to join. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot were best friends, and Susan's Aunt was Head of the DMLE- rare for a woman to be Head of a Department, and rarer still for her to be in an Auror. The formidable woman had been through two wars- Grindenwald and Voldemort, already. Harry suspected that she had taught the two girls a bit, but he couldn't be sure. At least, not until now.

Draco and Blaise both had a small amount of training in dueling, Draco from his Father, and Blaise from his Mother. His Mother was an infamous Black Widow, so none of Blaise's Fathers had stuck around long enough to teach him much of anything. It had taken some fast talking from Harry, but he'd managed to convince them to come to a meeting.

All he had to do with Granger was bring up learning new magic, and the Troll. He could already tell that she was going to be their weak point- he would have to watch her and make sure she didn't tell anyone what they were up to. Especially the Headmaster.

"Alright, so let's get started." Harry waved his wand to the blackboard, and the rules showed up.

_Rule Number One: Forget House Barriers_

_Rule Number Two: Have Fun_

_Rule Number Three: Be Creative_

_Rule Number Four: Constant Vigilance_

_Rule Number Five: No Snitches, and I don't mean Quidditch  
_

"Pretty easy, yeah? The thing is, because we're such a small group and this is...sort of an extra class, we won't have assignments and homework and all that rot. It won't be easy, though. Not only will all of you learn how to duel with spells and stuff, but you'll learn how to defend yourselves without magic."

"What? How?" Hannah asked, looking rather surprised at this.

Harry smiled. "Dean?"

Dean came up to the front. The two of them were prepared for this, and had dressed in t-shirts and comfortable shoes and trousers.  
Dean just gave him a smile, and that was Harry's only warning. Dean lunged forward, and made his first attack. Harry dodged to the side, throwing his arm out so as to catch the other boy in the neck. Dean caught his arm, and twisted it. Harry rolled with it, and used his leg to kick Dean's legs out from underneath him.

Dean went down, but not before grabbing Harry and twisting them so that he was on top. He laid his arm on top of Harry's throat and had his dagger in his hand, pointed right at his temple before anyone could blink. Harry's training dagger was pointed at Dean's throat, and both of them wore big smiles.

The others just stood there, gaping. Only Draco looked rather unsurprised for some reason.

"What the fuck?" Zabini muttered.

"You've been trained, haven't you?" Draco asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who?"

Harry pushed Dean off of him, and stood up. Dean put his dagger away, and sat on the empty desk.

"Does it matter? Anyways, Dean and I grew up in a rough neighborhood. We had to look after ourselves. We picked up a few things, growing up. So, you guys want to learn how to defend yourselves?"

Pansy raised her hand, looking nervous. "But...why should we learn?" She motioned to herself and the other Slytherin girls.

Harry sighed. "Look, all of your brothers, male cousins, uncles, Fathers- they were all trained in dueling. You aren't. It's not right for you to be unable to defend yourselves in times of trouble. Don't you want to be able to do that?"

Millie nodded quickly. "I do. Da taught me a few things, but I know he was pretty tough with my brothers."

Susan spoke up. "Auntie says that women should learn how to defend themselves, especially if we're ever at war again."

Harry's face darkened at this. It was likely that things could escalate to that again. He had to get them prepared, but he couldn't tell them. Not yet.

"You're right. Now, I'm going to pair all of you up. Abbott, Zabini. Bones, Parkinson. Malfoy, Greengrass. Dean, Davis. Granger, Bulstrode. He made up these pairings after careful consideration. He wanted more experienced duelists with those who were not. Granger and Millie would have problems, he knew, but he also knew that the two girls had a lot of potential.

x-x-x

Yay! Another update! I hope you guys liked it. So...the plot thickens, eh? What do you think? Who do you think Harry is meeting outside the school? How do you think he is preparing? And who do you think Marcus is associating with? And do you think Snape will call Harry out on his night time visits? Do you think Harry and Dean will slowly grow apart, or do you think that the two of them will find their places among the wizarding world at last?


	13. Chapter 13

Love In the Dark

Chapter Thirteen

Yay, another update! I hope you guys like it. Loved everyone's reviews, you guys are fantastic, and I love you all. I hope I didn't give away too much with my responses, lol. Thanks for reading, as always.

x-x-x

One evening, Harry was preparing for bed when there was a knock at his door. Harry pulled on his dressing robe, and answered it. He looked at Flint, who was frowning.

"Snape's in the common room, waiting for you. Apparently the Headmaster wants to talk to you."

Harry quickly put on his slippers, and headed out of the dorm.

"What did you do, Harry?" Flint murmured, leading him to the common room.

"I'm not sure what the Headmaster wants with me." Harry said, admitting nothing. Severus stood in the common room, by the main entrance. He was pale, and looked rather upset. His arms were crossed over his chest defensively. The common room was quiet, not many students were hanging around.

"Sir?"

"Follow me, Potter." The man said curtly, and turned on his heel. Harry exchanged a look with Flint, but said nothing. He followed the Professor out of the common room.

They took two steps before Severus spoke. "Do you have your gun with you, Potter?"

Harry frowned. "Yes, you know-"

"Professor Quirrel was discovered dead only minutes ago, with two bullets lodged into his shoulder. Do you know anything about that?"

Harry paled, but said nothing. "Where are we going, sir?"

"The hospital wing. The Headmaster and the rest of the staff are there now."

Harry was silent, mind racing with how he was going to explain this mess out. Snape had told him that he suspected Quirrel had something to do with Voldemort, had something to do with Harry nearly dying at that Quidditch game- and Harry knew that he'd only used his gun one time while at the school, and that was attacking whatever had nearly attacked himself and Dean in the Forbidden Forest.

Okay...he could do this. He took a deep breath as they neared the hospital wing.

Severus squeezed his shoulder slightly before the entered the room, and let go. The two Slytherins entered, and the rest of the staff looked their way. Harry tried to look suitably nervous, and kept his eyes to the floor.

Dean was standing next to Professor McGonagall, keeping his own gaze to the floor, and trying to look as small as possible.

"Mr. Potter." The Headmaster called out his name as Harry approached. Harry glanced up, but quickly looked down again.

"Sir." Harry glanced to the bed not too far away- a body laid there, underneath a sheet.

"Professor Quirrel was found earlier this evening. He died from an injury in his shoulder. From a gun. Do you know what a gun is, Harry?"

"Yes sir." Harry said quietly.

"Yes, Hagrid told us that you used one during your detention with him in the Forbidden Forest. Have you ever used a gun before, Harry?"

Harry wrung his hands, for show, trying to keep his eyes down. "Yes sir." He said quietly. "We...Dean and I, we grew up in a rough neighborhood. I only had it for protection. Um... I never shot anyone before, though." He let a bit of fear enter his voice, thankful he'd shot the man in the shoulder, and not right in the heart or in the head, like he'd been aiming for. That would have been too suspicious. "When we were in the forest, I shot some creature that had been drinking unicorn's blood- it lunged at us, like it was going to attack us!" Harry wailed, hiding his face behind his hands, trying to get himself to cry.

"Dear, it's quite alright." Professor Sprout soothed, going to his side. He let her take his trembling form into her arms, and hugged him gently.

Dean spoke up. "So...was Professor Quirrel the thing that tried to attack us?" He asked quietly, and Harry thanked him mentally.

"Surely not-" "No, it couldn't have been-" "No-" The Professors sounded scandalized at the thought, only Severus remained silent during this.

Dumbledore cut them all off. "After searching Professor Quirrel's office, I believe that the man had been...delving into darker magics, thus him drinking the unicorn blood. It looked as though the man feared coming to Madam Pomfrey because she would find out about what he'd been doing, so he attempted to heal himself."

"The only reason he didn't bleed out straight away was because of the Unicorn blood, and even then, he must have been in agony..." She cut herself off, as she looked to the children.

Professor Sprout let go of Harry, and the Headmaster knelt before the boy, trying to meet Harry's eyes.

"It is not your fault, my boy. You were only trying to defend yourself and your friend. I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate that gun, however. Do you have it with you?"

Harry shifted on his feet, giving the Headmaster the smallest of nods. He opened his dressing robe, ignoring everyone's odd expressions at seeing his pajamas. He took out the gun from its holster, and hesitated for a moment before handing the it over to the Headmaster.

"Thank you Harry."

Harry gave him a wan smile, letting tears fall from his eyes, glancing towards the dead body. He hung his head, and Dean went to his side, wrapping his arm around Harry's shoulders. Harry leant into him, thankful that they were so young, young enough to look innocent. So stupid! This was the magical world, of course no one else around would have guns. That had been rather stupid of him. Still, at least he was dead, and that meant he no longer posed a threat to Harry or anyone else.

"I'm afraid we will have to take away points." McGonagall said with a clipped tone.

"Oh yes." The Headmaster said absently, studying Harry's gun carefully, making Harry glad the safety was on. "Fifty points from Mr. Potter, and Twenty from Mr. Thomas." Harry frowned at this. Seriously? They had killed a man, and that was it?

"And I believe Mr. Potter will be serving detention with me." Severus said from behind Harry.

"Of course." The Headmaster sighed. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Thomas, you may go."

x-x-x

The next morning, Harry sat at the Slytherin table, pushing his food about his plate. He could see the Professors looking at him worriedly from time to time, so he had to keep his act up. He was quite hungry though- he'd have to go to the kitchens later.

The Headmaster stood, looking very solemn. The students grew quiet.

"Last night, Professor Quirrel passed on to the Next Great Adventure. He was a good Professor, and he will be missed. Let us all have a moment of silence for him." The Headmaster bowed his head, and the others followed. Harry glanced about. No one looked really surprised at this- perhaps it was because it was nearing the end of the school year, and apparently there was a curse on the Defense Professor position.

Millie nudged him, giving him a pointed look. Harry clasped his hands in front of him, bowing his head.

He suddenly wondered who everyone was praying to. The magical community, for the most part, was largely secular. After talking to Flint about what the Malfoys had done during mealtimes, Flint had explained that some families did pray to their patron gods and goddesses. It depended on where the family originated, as to who it was. Usually, that sort of thing was intensely private, and not normally spoken of. Which explained why Harry thought the wizarding world was more secular.

As Harry watched the others around him with an eye cracked open, he could see a few murmuring here and there. The moment quickly passed, and the Headmaster spoke once more.

"As we are without a Defense Professor for the last month of term, we will take turns teaching the class until exam time comes." He motioned to himself and the staff. Many whispered excitedly about this, and Harry wondered if it would be a good idea to be in a classroom with the Headmaster. He'd have to watch himself very, very carefully.

x-x-x

That evening, Harry had his detention with Severus. He'd been under strain all that day, knowing that he was being watched by all of the Professors he came into contact with. He was suitably quiet and depressed when around them, so they would know he was feeling guilty for the Professor's death.

Harry was smiling, however, as he entered the man's office that evening. It fell quickly upon seeing the man. Severus sat at his desk, glaring at him.

"What?"

Severus motioned brusquely to the seat in front of the desk. "Sit. You and I need to have a talk."

Harry set his bag down by the chair, and sat in the chair.

"Look, if this is about Quirrel, you yourself told me-"

"This isn't about Quirrel." Snape muttered, eyes glinting with anger. "I've let you get away with _far_ too much."

Harry smirked. "What, are you going to punish me, Professor?"

Severus smacked his hands flat against the desk, making various things shake on it. He stood up quickly, leaning over the desk. "I know about you sneaking out of the school. Do you think I wouldn't find out!"

Harry, to his credit, didn't stop smirking. He was a bit surprised, but he wouldn't show the man.

Snape continued. "What if you'd been hurt? What if you'd been killed? How am I supposed to protect you if you aren't where you're supposed to be?"

"Sorry sir." Harry said, not sounding very sorry at all.

The man rolled his eyes, and straightened. He tugged slightly at his robe, shaking his head. "This cannot happen this summer. I've let Lucius know. The only way you are going to knockturne is if you are accompanied by himself or Narcissa, and you are definitely not going at night. Next year, this WILL not happen. Understand?"

Harry just looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can take care of myself." He muttered.

"And that's the problem." Severus said, walking around the desk so that he was in Harry's line of vision. "Look at me, boy."

Harry looked up at him, eyes angry.

"Har-Potter, you have to watch yourself. You're attracting attention, and not the good kind."

"They don't know my real name."

"It wouldn't be that hard to figure out, if you were ever caught."

Harry scowled, dropping his gaze to the floor. "What do you want me to do? You said that Voldemort would come back one day. You said that I was in danger. I'm only trying to find a way to keep him from returning and getting stronger. I'm trying to find a way to protect myself. What's wrong with that?"

Severus knelt in front of Harry, in front of the chair. Their eyes met, and Harry started to feel a little guilty at how he was treating the man. Severus looked honestly worried. For him.

"I know that you're not a child. I know that you can protect yourself. I just...don't want you to get into something that you can't back out of. Please...Harry, be careful."

Harry reached forward, brushing the man's cheek with his fingertips. Harry sighed, staring at the man's face. Despite all the exotic things out there in the magical world, all of the beauty, and all of the strength, nothing could compare to Severus. He leant forward, kissing the man's forehead. Severus went still beneath him.

Severus swore he would never kneel at another man's feet for as long as he lived...yet, here he was, doing just that. Willingly. Those lips upon his skin were gentle and chaste, but burned with a firey power and promise.

"Yes Severus." Harry whispered, running a hand over the man's inky black hair. Harry rested his head against the man's. "I know that you just want me safe." Another kiss. "You care a great deal for me...don't you?"

Severus didn't answer. He didn't have to.

"I care about you too." Harry whispered, confessing quietly. His other conquests were fun, something to do when he was bored, something that could help him do something else. There were reasons for flirting, reasons for the things he did. With Severus...there were no reasons. He just...did it. Just because he wanted to.

Harry tilted Severus' face back, and their gazes met. "I won't go anywhere unaccompanied." Harry whispered. "I swear, on my magic."

"Only with myself, Lucius, and...Flint." Severus added this last, knowing Flint would look after Harry properly.

Harry smiled in approval. "Yes sir. Thank you."

Severus shook himself off, and stood up. He grabbed Harry by the hair, making him look up. "If I find you're breaking the rule..."

Harry's smile widened. "Then you can punish me how you like, sir."

Severus rolled his eyes at this, letting go of Harry's hair. "Now, go to the classroom and clean those cauldrons."

Harry made a face at this, but did as he was told.

x-x-x

The spirit that had once occupied Professor Quirrel's body was currently occupying a cat's body. It had been a student's familiar, the only thing he could find that wouldn't be missed. His plans for retreving the stone would have to be put on hold indefinitely. Hopefully the stone would not be removed until he could find a proper host. And he'd been so close too!

At least he could follow the Potter boy, this way. He slinked after him in the corridor, watching him talk with that mudblood, Dean Thomas. The two first years ambled down the corridor, talking quietly.

Kitty Voldemort hung in the shadows as the two boys conversed.

"Dean, please come with me to the Malfoy manor- please?"

"...Oh, alright. I'll tell the Weasleys that I'll join them later on in the hols."

"Thank you." Potter murmured. "While the Malfoys are brilliant, I don't think I could go that long without seeing you around. Hey, you can join Draco and I for training!"

"Dueling?"

"Yeah. Sword fighting would be pretty awesome, yeah?"

"...eh. Too bad your gun was taken away. Found some bullets soaked in poison, half price."

"Ugh, that sucks."

"Good thing I got you another gun then, right?" Thomas said with a rougish grin.

"You didn't! Where?"

"Found the piece in an old second-hand shop. You'll have to clean it up a bit, and um...change the handle or something, cause I filched it."

Potter giggled at this. Kitty Voldemort stared at the boys in shock. Potter must have been the one to shoot him. How...interesting. On top of that, both boys apparently went to Knockturne routinely.

"Well, those skills of yours certainly aren't wasted around here. Lucius and Narcissa said you could stay for all of the holidays, but if you want to go with the Weasleys..."

"About about just after your birthday?"

"Sounds great." Harry said, hugging his friend tightly. "You'll have so much fun, I promise. And wait 'till you see the albino peacocks!"

"...what the hell?"

"What? They're gorgeous."

"You're such a girl." Thomas muttered.

Kitty Voldemort slinked off, trying to re-figure his plans. He had obviously underestimated Potter and his friend. Once he got the Stone, perhaps he could recruit them? Thomas could have his uses, maybe, recruiting with the Gryffindors and such. He could be bribed with money, easily. If he remembered correctly, Thomas was from a poor family.

He trotted down the coridor, tail curling from side to side in thought. He would need a new body, of course, but this body was useful for collecting information. Too bad it wouldn't last all that long. Perhaps he could get a kneazle's body next time... he suddenly felt nauseous, and began to hack and cough. He coughed and coughed, making a face as the hairball finally came out. He mewed in disgust, and sped off down the corridor, trying to find the first years once more. Damn! He lost them!

x-x-x

Harry hugged Millie and the girls tightly, and then hugged Ella. The young woman looked down at Harry warmly. "You take care of yourself now, Harry. I expect to see you at the wedding this summer!"

"Of course, Ella." Harry said with a charming smile, kissing her hand. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Ella rolled her eyes at this, and the other girls giggled. They suddenly stopped, looking over at something behind Harry. It was Dean and Hermione. During the AKDA lessons, the girls recognized Hermione's skills a bit more, but that didn't mean they liked her.

"I just wanted to say have a good holiday, Harry." Hermione said with a shy smile.

Harry suddenly felt a bit sorry for her. Granger hadn't made many friends this year.

"Have a good holiday, Hermione." Granger smiled brightly at this, her braces glinting in the sunlight. Harry knew he'd said the right thing. She hugged him tightly.

"I'll try to write! I might be a bit busy, though, Mum and Dad take me on a trip every summer hols, so..."

"Where are you going, Granger? I'm going to France with my family this summer." Daphne said snootily.

"We're going to Germany. But Mum and Dad are talking about going to France maybe next summer, though." Hermione said brightly. Harry wondered if Hermione's family was well off. They were dentists, right? So how were they able to do all that?

"Well...have fun." Millie said grudgingly. She didn't trust muggleborns yet, but she was slowly coming to realise that they did make pretty good art.

"I will, and you too Millie!"

Millie blushed at the nickname- Harry was usually the only one to call her that, but after pairing with Granger in the AKDA, Granger had overheard him. Harry hid a smile behind a hand. Everyone parted ways, greeting their parents happily.

Harry watched Hermione run off to her parents, who looked rather out of place in comparison to all of the other adults dressed in robes.

Harry gave Dean a grin, and tugged him by the arm towards the Malfoys. Narcissa was fussing over Draco already, and Lucius was watching the two of them carefully.

"Dean, meet Lucius Malfoy, and his wife Narcissa."

* * *

Another chapter finished, and with it, Harry's first year! Yay! I hope you guys liked it. Thanks for reading, and please review.

Did anyone like Kitty!Voldemort as much as I did?


	14. Chapter 14

Love In the Dark

I loved everyone's reviews! You are all fantastic, and you always make my day. So thank you. Insightful reviews help me flesh out the story more, so help me out and give constructive criticism, yeah? I don't know if you guys figured this out yet, but this story will be veeeery long. Like all the way up until he either leaves Hogwarts, Kills Voldemort and/or Dumbledore, graduates, gets expelled, and/or goes on to live happily ever after with Snape and/or various other lovers.

I haven't exactly decided where to end this yet, lol. As you can tell, I really don't know what side Harry is really going to be on at this point. Right now...I'm sort of having him becoming a bit Darkish, but with um...good character. Yeah. Oh, there's a bit of smut in this chapter. Just warning you.

Check out my original work over at fictionpress, I just posted the next chapter of my story over there.

Oh, btw, I love all of you. Just saying. Have fun, and remember to review!

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

Harry was in his room back at Malfoy Manor. He was unpacking his things with a small smile, humming to himself. Dean was unpacking his things in one of the guest rooms, while Draco was having an elf do the same in his own room. Draco was a spoiled prat, but Harry didn't want to think about him at the moment.

He'd loved Dean's expression of awe, seeing the Malfoy Manor at last. It was a very beautiful home, and both Narcissa and Lucius were pleased that Dean appreciated it. Harry was glad that the boy had decided to come. His best friend was sometimes come and go about money...things. He wasn't jealous of Harry, certainly, as he knew more than anyone what Harry had gone through over the years.

Harry just hoped that Dean would seize this opportunity for what it was. Dean had been invited to train alongside Harry and Draco, and Harry knew Dean would do well. He was fast on his feet, and a quick learner. Harry was a bit nervous about how he and Draco would get on, but that really wasn't his problem. They would sort it out, if not through talking, then on the dueling floor.

Harry sighed as he held up one of his shirts. He hadn't realized until Narcissa had said something- he'd grown quite a bit this year. Maybe it was all the good food and less stressful situations... the puberty monster wasn't so bad so far. His voice hadn't changed, but Harry had noticed that Dean's voice was starting to crack. He took joy in pointing that out just the previous week during their last AKDA sessions of the year.

But Harry_ had_ grown a few inches over the past year. He hadn't really noticed until Narcissa had hugged him- he came just up to her shoulders now. Dean and Draco were even taller, but he was used to that. He'd have to get some new clothes over the holidays.

After Quirrel had died, they had various staff members filling in the space until exam time. In those few weeks, everyone had picked up quite a bit. Flitwick did some amazing things with a wand, and McGonagall wasn't too bad either. Dumbledore had only taught one class, but what a class it was!

Harry honestly felt a bit guilty for not feeling bad about Quirrel's death. He'd been the first person he'd ever killed. Sure, he'd injured others before, or had them killed indirectly, but wasn't he supposed to feel bad? He wasn't sure how to feel about that whole situation. He would just do his best to put it out of his mind, for now. Severus told him that whatever Quirrel had been after had been removed from the school by the Headmaster, so there would be no danger next year. Hopefully.

Harry was looking forward to the holidays. While he would be busy with training from Lucius and Narcissa, he would be happy to have the downtime. Too bad Severus would be off to Sweden for most of the holidays, at a potions conference. He hoped to explore the Manor a bit more, and maybe even get of flying practice in. He only had that one lesson at the beginning of term, before his schedule was filled up with lessons from Ella, Marcus, and Severus.

Harry smiled, thinking of the friends he'd made this past year. Millie was a doll- she was coming into her own, and was hoping to concentrate on her art skills during the holidays. Tonks would be starting her Auror training officially, and was supposed to write and give him updates. Hopefully Marcus would come around to the manor to see him once in a while. He didn't want to go so long without at least_ some_ sexual contact.

Harry hurried his unpacking. They were to go to dinner tonight, and go to bed early. Lucius would be showing the boys the training room, and get started on their training.

Harry left his room, and went down the hallway. He went down the stairs, running a hand through his hair absently. The manor was very quiet, his steps echoing on the smooth marble floors. It still bothered him- give him the loudness of London or the humming corridors of Hogwarts any day. Dean was at the foot of the stairs, looking rather unsure of himself. He smiled as he saw Harry, looking visibly relieved.

"This place is huge. Too easy to get lost, yeah?"

Harry gave him a small smile, taking him by the arm. "You're quite right." Harry leant into him, and led the way to the dining room. He took a small trinket from Dean's pocket, and put it back, giving him a Look.

Dean just gave him a sheepish smile. "What? Not like they'd miss it."

Harry shook his head. "Don't be stupid, Dean. Watch yourself- yeah, Lucius and Narcissa are nice, but give them a reason, and..." He trailed off, knowing that his best friend would be able to fill in the rest of the blanks.

Dean's smile faded, and he looked much more serious. Harry squeezed his arm slightly, comforting him. "It's okay darling, now you know. I bet the elves prepared a feast for us!" He exclaimed, wanting to change the subject.

They entered the dining room, and found the long table filled with food. Narcissa and Lucius were already there, talking quietly with one another. They both looked up as they saw Harry and Dean enter the room.

Draco came in not too much later, and the blessing began, and the meal was eaten. As everyone finished, Lucius spoke up.

"I want all of you to do your best in your training this summer. The Junior League National Dueling Championship will be on July 20th, so we have less than a month to prepare."

"What's that?" Harry asked, licking his spoon clean of his chocolate mousse. Narcissa gave him a disapproving look, and Harry set his spoon down with a cheeky grin.

"The Junior League National Dueling Championship, or the Junior League, as it is commonly referred to, is a competition of dueling skills." Lucius began.

Draco looked at Harry and Dean with a smirk. "There are three categories. Longsword, Daggers, and Hand-to-hand contact. Normally, such dueling competitions would also include Magical Dueling, but we're underage. When we're old enough, we could enter the Nationals and Internationals for adults. I've been training with Father for years." He sniffed.

Lucius gave his son a warning look, but was still smiling. "Yes, Draco won the Dagger competition last year. He won a rather good amount of prize money too."

"And this year, I will be going for the Longsword- that's worth even more. I've been practicing this year." Draco said with a grin.

Narcissa looked a bit worried. "Draco-"

"Mother, I will do just fine. So, Potter, Thomas, are you two going to enter?"

Harry and Dean exchanged a look. Dean spoke. "Actually, I think I might go for Daggers. I'm not too bad with a blade."

Harry just gave a small smile. "I think you'd do great, Dean. As for me, I think I'll sit this out."

Draco looked visibly surprised, while Lucius and Narcissa looked at him knowingly. "But Pot- Harry, you have to compete, at least in the hand to hand..."

"Hand-to-Hand? Really?" Lucius asked, raising his brow.

Harry blushed, and Dean spoke up. "Well, yeah. Harry's pretty good with his hands." He laughed. Harry swatted his arm playfully, and Draco looked a bit confused.

"I, for one, am happy that one of you boys has a bit of sense." Narcissa said, hiding a smile behind her hand.

x-x-x

The following morning, the three boys stood in the Dueling room, looking at Lucius expectantly. Both Harry and Dean wore their most comfortable clothing, Draco was dressed in dueling robes. Lucius was dressed casually, for once, his shirt sleeves rolled up slightly, a ghost of a mark on his inner arm. Harry's gaze lingered on it for a moment.

Lucius stopped pacing, and it made Harry's gaze snap up to attention. The blonde looked at all of them coolly.

"This is a rite of passage for every young man, not only to be able to defend themselves magically, but with weapons as well. After all, if you are in danger without your wand, how are you to defend yourselves?"

Lucius looked at the three of them carefully. "We will start with stretches and hand-to-hand. While we stretch, I will go over the rules of formal dueling with you and Harry." His eyes went to Dean. Dean just gave him a slight nod.

Lucius guided them through the stretches. It wasn't all too different from the stretches Harry had seen the Quidditch teams doing the few times he'd watched their practices. Lucius told them the rules of formal dueling. Three strikes, and the duelist lost his match. If the duelist was disarmed for more than ten seconds, he lost the match. If the duelist stepped out of bounds, he lost the match. If he was found to be cheating in any way, such as using charmed gear or weaponry, he would lose the match and would be unable to enter any tournament ever again. And on it went.

"What about informal, dueling, sir?" Harry finally asked, after Lucius explained the various rules of hand-to-hand. Dean smirked at this.

Lucius just raised a brow. "Well, informal dueling is something else entirely. Defending yourself from another wizard can get dirty very quickly. There are no rules to abide- it's only his life or yours." He grabbed the nearest sword and tossed it to his son, who caught it easily with one hand. "Want to show them how it's done, Draco?"

Draco smirked. "Of course, Father."

Harry and Dean watched the two duel, their swords clanging and clashing spectacularly. Harry could tell that Lucius was holding back, but Draco was still doing rather good. He wasn't that bad, really. Harry wondered if it was just a training thing, because Draco was horrible when it came to dueling magically. Dean assessed the two Malfoys, watching their moves carefully. Harry heard a noise, and glanced over to see Narcissa peeking in at them through the door.

Their eyes met, and Harry gave her a small smile. Narcissa gave him a slight nod, and closed the door quietly, leaving them to their dueling. Harry went back to watching the Malfoys, reflecting at how separate things were for men and women amongst the pureblood elite. Very old fashioned. Hopefully, Harry would change that.

Draco was disarmed, and it was time for Harry and Dean to take their turn at hand-to-hand and then at the daggers.

Lucius was visibly surprised at their skill, but quickly settled in to watch them, studying their every moves. Draco, for his part, could only gape in awe.

Harry was sporting some bruises on his pale skin, and Dean's jaw was swelling up- both of them had shallow cuts on their arms and legs. They fought fast and dirty, like they always had before. Handling a switchblade wasn't so different from a dagger, after all. Just a bit lighter.

Lucius allowed them a short break, looking at them carefully.

"You two already have very distinct styles. Hopefully we will hone your skills into something a bit more polished." He flicked his wand at them several times, healing their wounds. "Dean, you are fast, very fast, and agile. Your timing is excellent, but I think your footwork could use some more work. Harry, you take the brunt of blows quite a bit, preferring to press through it and get your hit in while the other tires out. You are very good at applying weight and counter pressure to overcome your differences in build and strength, but I think you could be a bit tighter with your moves."

And on it went. Draco actually helped his Father teach them some of the formal stances and arrangements to keep blows from impacting too much. Harry's training had been limited to 'informal dueling' from Flint and Severus, while Dean's only training had been on the streets. Having someone teach them like this was something else entirely.

x-x-x

Draco and Dean were actually off at the pitch, leaving Harry to wander the Manor on his own. Dean was actually into quidditch, and he loved to tease Draco, so he naturally tagged along with the boy when he announced he was going to go flying that day. Harry decided to stay behind. He knew that Narcissa would be having tea with Mrs. Bulstrode and some of the other high society ladies over at the Zabini manor, and Lucius was lurking about in his study. He usually did that when not out and about.

Harry was in the parlor, snooping about, when he came across a hidden panel. He grinned to himself, slipping inside the secret passage, going down the stairs quietly. Were these the dungeons? He felt almost giddy at the thought of finally seeing some evidence behind the Malfoy's dirty past. He walked down the spiraling stairs slowly, quietly, keeping his hand on his wand. He glanced around as he came to the end of the staircase. The torches lit automatically as he entered the room.

It was a library. It was dark, and the shelves were covered in stacks of tomes that wouldn't look out of place in the restricted section. There were shelves of wine and spirits along one wall, and there were a large collection of...strange objects. Harry perused the books, looking at some of the titles. Yes, some were in the restricted section, while others looked very ancient and strange indeed. Harry shuddered with delight as he found some of the more...illicit books lurking in the corner. He ran his finger over the leather bindings.

Why not?

He selected one of the books, and opened it. He grinned as he looked at the engravings. Got to love those wizarding books- the illustrations were animated! Harry's eyes went round at the sight of a great hunk of a man snogging a woman, groping her tits, while another man feasted upon his neck, fucking him from behind. He sat himself down in a nearby leather chair, and began to read eagerly.

Halfway through the book, he couldn't fight temptation, and began to touch himself. He was looking at a picture of a man being bound and gagged, and a man was smacking his bottom with a belt. He pulled his cock out of his trousers, toes curling at the sensation. His hips jerked, and he bit back a moan.

"God..." He whispered, staring at the bound man. He was imagining himself bound the same way, and Severus was the one who was wielding that belt. It was nothing like the beatings he'd gotten as a small child- Severus knew how to use it properly. Harry's hand tightened its' grip.

"Fuck..." He gasped, eyes fluttering shut.

He couldn't imagine submitting to anyone else, trusting anyone else enough to do that to him, but with Severus...it would be so easy. Why? Was it because he had seen Severus in the Mirror? Because Severus was his heart's greatest desire? No, he didn't need a mirror to tell him that. With his other hand, he slid his fingertips up over his neck, into his hair.

His head lolled back, and he panted harshly, his other hand working furiously over his cock. The book that had been perched on his knees fell to the floor as his legs straightened out with heightened tension. "Oh...please...Sev..." He moaned. "I want you so bad..."

His cock finally erupted, spilling over his hand and dribbling over the front of his trousers. Harry let loose a loud groan, tensing as he orgasmed. He slowly relaxed, letting out a long exhale. He was quiet for a long moment, enjoying this.

"You better not have gotten anything on that book. It's an antique."

Harry jolted up, and saw Lucius standing by the bookshelves, leaning against them casually. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was looking straight into Harry's eyes.

Harry was proud to say that he did not blush as he cleaned himself up, tucking himself back into his trousers. He stood, feeling rather unsteady. Lucius was there before he even realized it, helping him stand. Harry looked up, and Lucius was staring at him with a small smile. His eyes were glimmering with amusement and lust.

"I see you're quite taken with Severus."

Harry_ did_ blush at this, and shoved him away. He grabbed the book from the floor, giving Lucius a look. "So? What about it?"

"I think it's cute. Even _you_ can get a crush."

"It's not a crush." Harry protested, sounding halfhearted to his ears. Lucius just continued to smile. Harry scowled at him. "You're the dirty old man that perved on me while I was mastur-"

"Yes, in my very own study full of priceless antiques and dark artifacts. That was very silly of you, _boy_. Did you not think I had wards to warn me if anyone else but myself and Narcissa entered this room?"

"So you're still admitting that you're a dirty old perv?"

Lucius chuckled. "Well, I'm certainly not dirty, or old, but I do confess to being a pervert. But I say...I'm in good company, aren't I?" His eyes dropped to the book in his hands. "Ah, such a good title, don't you think?"

Harry's blush was back. "Er, well..."

"It's an old favorite of mine. Severus..."

"What?" Harry's gaze sharpened at this.

Lucius' smirk widened. "Well, I seem to remember Severus borrowing this book from me ages ago. He seemed to like it quite a bit."

"...Really?" Harry asked, and winced. His voice cracked, for the very first time. Damn!

"Oh yes." Lucius purred, and Harry was suddenly jealous. Harry scowled, and grabbed the book back.

"I'm borrowing this, then."

Lucius' brow raised. "Are you asking, or are you telling?"

Harry pasted a sweet smile on his face, taking a step closer to the man, pressing up against his chest. He reached down with his free hand, slowly sliding a finger over the man's arm. "Asking." He murmured coyly.

Lucius' eyes darkened with lust. "You'll have to read it here, then. I don't want anyone else getting to it."

Harry's smile turned into a smirk. "And I suppose you'll have to stay here...to make sure I stay out of trouble, right?"

Lucius gave him a heated look. "You are Claimed, Harry. I won't mess around with another man's pet."

Harry shuddered at the thought. "Pet?"

Lucius chuckled, reaching forward to stroke Harry's cheek gently. "Plaything. Toy. Lover. Whatever he decides to call you, it doesn't matter. You're not Mine. And I won't be touching you unless I am allowed."

Harry breathed out shakily. "Narcissa?" He whispered, closing his eyes.

Lucius leant in a bit closer, lips brushing up against his ear. "Who do you think told Severus to Claim you? Believe me, she is aware of my attraction to you."

Harry leant into the touch, eyes closing. Lucius' magic was strong and heady, it made him so...dizzy. "Wouldn't she want me to...leave?"

"Oh no." Lucius moved away from him now, taking a step back. "We_ both_ wanted to keep an eye on you." He looked to the book in Harry's hands. "Severus deserves every happiness he can get. Read that book. Then read the two dark red books right next to it on the shelf, and we will then talk about what you learned."

"Sir?" Harry asked, feeling a bit confused now.

Lucius saw this, and gave him a true smile now. "Harry, when we told you we were training you, we're not just going to train you to duel or to talk nice with the high society ladies."

Harry's eyes fell to the book in his hands. "You mean..."

"Neither of us will touch you, of course, but you will be trained. You will be informed of Severus' likes and dislikes, among...other things. One day, when you are eventually together, he will want you to do such things with him. He is our friend. We just want him to be happy. And if he can get that with you, all the better."

x-x-x

Harry and Narcissa were out shopping, looking for dress robes for Harry. He needed some new ones, as he'd grown out of the old ones, according to Narcissa. The two of them were looking at the selection of fabrics that Madam Malkins offered when Marcus came in with a man that looked similar to him.

Harry smiled brightly, hugging Marcus.

"Marcus! How have your holidays been?"

Narcissa cleared her throat, and the two of them parted. Marcus gave Harry an amused look. "Harry, meet my Father, Lord Aurelius Flint. Father, this is Harry Potter."

Harry and Lord Flint shook hands. Harry gave the man a smile. He looked almost exactly like his son, only a bit older, and a bit tougher looking. Not that Marcus didn't look tough. Lord Flint and Narcissa were old friends of course, and greeted each other informally.

"Looking for dress robes?' Marcus asked.

Harry nodded quickly. "For Ella's wedding. Were you invited?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

Harry glanced at Narcissa and Lord Flint, who were talking about the upcoming wedding. Harry took Marcus aside, squeezing his arm.

"Missed you." He murmured, surprising himself.

Marcus raised a brow. "Really?"

Harry blushed. "What? I can't miss my friend? We've been rather busy since the holidays began- Lucius has us training all the time."

"You planning on entering the Junior Nationals?"

"...No. Draco and Dean are, however." Harry said, giving Marcus a sweet smile. "I think I'd rather just watch them battle it out."

Marcus shook his head, knowing Harry could win for his age group if he wanted to.

"Well, I'll be in the competition. It's my first year in the upper levels- I should do alright, though."

Harry grinned. "Of course you will. I'll cheer you on from the sidelines." He glanced towards the adults, who were obviously talking about them now. "Do you think you could come visit sometime?"

Marcus glanced at his Father. "I don't think so. I'm usually pretty busy during the holidays."

Harry pouted. "You're no fun."

"But I will see you at the wedding, okay? Oh, I even heard Professor Snape was going to stop by for the reception. He's taking a portkey in, according to Ella."

Harry bounced at this, getting visibly excited. "How do you know?"

"Ella told me. So...you're going with the green?"

Harry glanced at the fabric draped over his arm. "Oh...I don't know. What do you think?"

Marcus smirked. "You and nearly everyone else there will be wearing green. You should try something different."

Harry giggled. "I suppose so. You don't think the Professor will wear black, do you?"

x-x-x

Harry was sitting in a grand looking arena, it was filled with wizards from all over the country. Harry was sitting next to Lucius and Narcissa, in their box seats. The Minister of Magic sat not too far away, and they had a good view of everything. All morning had been spent watching preliminary duels, and now it was down to the final duel for the older age group, which consisted of fourteen to seventeen year olds that had not yet graduated from Hogwarts.

There were also a number of foreign witches and wizards there- Harry was introduced to many of them by the Malfoys in between each duel. Harry did his best to ignore the reporters that flashed pictures of them whenever they weren't taking pictures of the duelists. Harry had grown his hair out to the small of his back, so that he would get used to it in time for Ella's wedding, which was the very next day. He was also wearing some new robes, from Knockturne. The robes were a dark plum color, and were rather minimalistic and casual, but the rich color dressed them up a bit.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he saw a rather large group of red heads gathering near the nosebleed seats. Those must be the Weasleys, undoubtedly coming to cheer Dean on. He rather liked Fred and George, but he wasn't so sure about the other brothers he'd met so far. Lucius saw him looking.

"Muggle lovers, the lot of them. I do hope that you aren't fraternizing with them, Harry." Lucius murmured coolly.

Harry gave him a slight smirk. "Fred and George aren't too bad. Talented, and rather sneaky. You'd be surprised. Oh! It's starting!" Harry exclaimed, not noticing Narcissa hide a smile behind her hand.

Marcus stepped onto the Dueling platform, sword in hand. Harry slid forward, perching at the end of his seat. Marcus looked as though the sword was an extension of his arm. He wore plain black dueling robes, standard fit. The young man on the other side of the platform stood tall, smirking darkly at his rival. Harry recognized him vaguely...he was a Ravenclaw.

"Marcus Aurelius Flint Vs. Rodger William Davies- the Longsword!" The announcer called out, his voice echoing in the cavernous arena. He raised his wand. "One..." The two boys bowed slightly to each other, and got into position. "Two..." They raised their swords, watching each other carefully. "Three!"

Harry cheered hard along with everyone else, watching the two men swordfight. It was so exciting! And man, could they really swing those swords. Harry had to be reminded more than once from Narcissa to calm down.

Soon enough, Flint had Davies disarmed, and Harry stood up, cheering. Narcissa tugged him down, giving him a Look. Harry blushed, and still kept clapping. What? Other people were doing it.

As Marcus received his medal and a small bag of galleons as his prize, he stepped down so that the younger division could begin their finals.

Harry squeezed Narcissa's hand tightly as Draco stepped onto the platform, and on the opposite end, a third year Ravenclaw named Smythe. While younger, Draco fought just as ferociously as Flint did. He was clearly holding back during their training sessions, Harry thought. Why? Harry studied both boys carefully, this time, in silence.

They were joined by the Flints just as Draco disarmed his opponent. The blonde boy smiled broadly, and this time, Narcissa and Severus stood, clapping wholeheartedly for their son. Draco received his medal and his small bag of money, and made his way through the crowd. He was stopped every so often by a well-wisher, or by a photographer. Draco was grinning broadly as he approached them.

"Well done, son." Lucius said warmly, shaking Draco's hand. Narcissa squeezed his shoulder, knowing if she hugged him in public, he would make a fuss. Harry shook Draco's hand as well, as did Marcus.

The Hand-To-Hand was next, and Harry could see why Draco thought he would have been good there. Harry watched the duelists carefully, noting their flaws, their mistakes, and the things that they excelled at. They were bloodied up and bruised by the end of their long battle, making Harry anxious to see Dean next.

Dean looked defiant in his muggle clothing. While...unusual, there was no rule that stated a duelist had to wear dueling robes. They just had to show that they hid no weapons on their person. Indeed, there was no hiding a weapon on Dean, what with his arms bared in a grey t-shirt, and muggle denim.

Harry sighed. Dean was good looking, even if he was straight. The arena had gone slightly quiet at the sight of him, and for a reason. A muggleborn had never participated in this tournament before. There were no rules against that, either.

"Dean Thomas Vs. Barnaby Finch!" The announcer called out, making Harry frown. The boy that stood there looked unfamiliar to him. He didn't go to Hogwarts. Was he homeschooled? Harry looked to Lucius worriedly, and the man spoke to him quietly.

"The Finch family have been participating in this tournament since its inception. They prefer to have private tutors for their children, so that they may set aside time for training and the like. I'm afraid your friend is up against quite some competition."

In moments, the two boys lunged forward, daggers out. Harry watched, very still and quiet, barely breathing. They circled each other like predators, and Harry knew that this would be a long duel. They went on and on, and Dean did his best. Harry saw the other boy saying things to him- his lips were moving, but Harry couldn't really make out what he was saying. They moved fast, and this Finch boy spoke quietly.

Dean looked furious, at whatever he was saying.

And then it happened. Dean lunged forward, knocking the dagger from the boy's hand, and in the same breath, plunged his own dagger into the boy's stomach. Harry stood, as did Narcissa and the others, all of them in shock. Finch dropped to the ground, as though in slow motion. Harry found himself pushing his way through the crowd, not even noticing anyone else around him.

Dean stared at the boy at his feet. Healers rushed in, and the announcer went to Dean's side.

"Well...ahem, Mr. Thomas, I believe you won. Congratulations!" The man dropped the bag of money into Dean's bloodied hands, along with the medal. He didn't put the medal on him, like the other winners had, or shake his hand.

The boy was carried off by the Healers, and Dean slowly made his way off the platform. He looked as though he was in shock. Harry knew that while Dean had been through a few things on the streets, and injury like that in the muggle world would have killed the boy. As it was, Finch would be bedridden for quite some time. Their eyes met, and Harry hugged him. Dean was stiff in his arms, unmoving.

"You, boy." A man's gruff voice rang out, making many go silent.

Harry and Dean turned, as one, to the voice. A man stood there, looking furious. He had a sword strapped to his hip, and he looked very wealthy. From his coloring, Harry guessed that he was the boy's father.

"You damned mudblood, don't you know the rules?"

Harry squeezed Dean's hand, warning him not to step out of line. Harry spoke, before Lucius could.

"Dean won his duel, he broke no rules."

"Who are you?" The man sneered, eyes narrowed. "A mudblood lover, eh? What do you know about Dueling?"

Lucius spoke, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Lord Finch, this is my adopted son, Lord-apparent Harry James Potter, and Mr. Thomas is his friend. I have trained them along with my son these past holidays, introducing them to the fine art of Dueling. They are well aware of the rules."

Finch looked as though he'd sucked a lemon. He turned away, shoulders stiff with anger. He went off to find his son.

x-x-x

Harry sat at breakfast, sipping his tea, looking at the paper. On the front page, was a picture of himself, Dean, and Draco, along with a separate shot of Marcus.

He smiled idly at the captions underneath the pictures.

_Draco Malfoy, the winner of the Longsword Junior division, stands with his adopted brother Harry Potter, AKA the Boy Who Lived, and Dean Thomas, the winner of the Dagger Junior Division. _

The article wasn't too bad, really. It was about three pages long, and there were various action shots of the duels, but the main one was the picture of Dean against Finch. It was a big deal, a muggleborn in this competition, let alone winning it. Many speculated where Dean could have got his training, blah, blah, blah.

Dean would be getting fanmail, he was sure of it. As it was, Dean was confined to his bed this morning, as was Draco. Both boys were exhausted from the previous day.

Harry smiled at Lucius and Narcissa. "I'm going to go get ready. Marcus will be here at noon to escort me."

"Marcus?" Lucius raised a brow.

Harry smirked at him. "Marcus has permission."

"I...see."

Harry stood. "Thank you for the lovely breakfast. May I be excused?"

"Of course darling." Narcissa said with an indulgent smile, waving him off. As Harry went to his room, he wondered idly if Dean would start getting fan mail. That would be cool.

x-x-x

So...what do you think? Cool eh? So...the next chapter is the wedding, along with meeting the Weasleys officially, and other...stuff. You like this chappie? I sure did. Please review, I'll give you cookies if you do. :3

Oh, I posted some fan art on my deviantart page earlier today- check my profile for the info.


	15. Chapter 15

Love In the Dark

Thank you all for your lovely reviews. I am sad that some people don't log in when reviewing, otherwise, I'd leave them a response! I know some of you are anxiously awaiting the time that Harry and Severus will get together, but I am letting you know now that won't be happening for a while yet. In the meantime, there are lots of other things going on. Any of you have any ideas for other pairings? Dean is straight, but I have no clue which girl I want him to be with. I have an idea for Draco- he will be straight as well. And who in the hell will Millie be with? Just think about it- I need to build up to these things,you know?

* * *

Harry brushed his hair, staring at his reflection. He was wearing his under-robes, something that he liked quite a bit. They were a cream color, with a small bit of lace around the high neckline and the hems of the sleeves. He smiled to himself as he pulled two small bits of his hair back with clips, leaving the rest loose. He glanced at his reflection a bit more. He couldn't resist adding just the smallest bit of rouge- he couldn't afford to look pale in this outfit. Not many would be able to pull it off.

He stood, and took his outer robes from the bed, pulling them on. They were a very, very pale yellow color, made of soft material that hung well on him. Harry slipped into some shoes, spritzed a bit of perfume on, and headed down to the foyer where Marcus would be waiting for him. He glided down the stairs, loving the weight of the material as it draped behind him.

He gave the smallest of smiles to Narcissa as he passed. She gave him an approving look. Dean gave him a whistle and a wink, and Harry laughed. Draco looked a bit befuddled, but said nothing. He stepped into the Foyer, where Lucius and Marcus were talking quietly to one another. Marcus was wearing dark burgundy robes that cut his figure very well. Harry couldn't help but admire his broad shoulders for a moment. Marcus looked visibly surprised at the robes.

"Harry...you look good."

"Thank you Marcus. You look very nice as well." Harry said, taking Marcus' offered arm.

Lucius gave Marcus a Look. "You two will be back by ten. Understand?"

"Yes, Lord Malfoy."

The man stepped back, allowing them to take the floo.

Moments later, they were arriving in another foyer, full of people. Everyone was dressed in their finery, and Harry recognized many of the faces from the Ball that the Malfoys had held. Apparently this was the reception- the actual marriage ceremony itself had been private.

Marcus glanced at the man who was standing by the floo. He looked like security of some sort.

"Announcing Marcus Flint, and Harry Potter."

The room went silent, and many turned. Harry ignored the stares, seeing the young woman was dressed in an elegant white gown. Marcus had been right about what thing- almost everyone here was dressed in different shades of green. This was clearly a Slytherin soiree. Ella looked delighted to see Harry.

"Harry darling." She kissed both of Harry's cheeks. Ella suddenly reminded him of Mrs. Malfoy for a moment, and wondered if this was common with all married female Slytherins. She gave a smile to Marcus. "Marcus, it's good to see you too." She motioned to a man who was standing nearby. "Harry, this is my Husband, Julian Warren."

Julian was a few years older than Ella, but Harry reckoned he was good looking, and had some good vibes. He shook hands with Marcus first, the two seemed to know each other very well. Then he shook hands with Harry. His hands were rather smooth, Harry reflected- he certainly didn't play quidditch or work with his hands all that much. He'd learnt from Ella ages ago that Julian's family was somehow involved with St. Mungo's, but he wasn't sure in what compacity.

The reception was lovely- Harry socialized with people of all ages, from the old ladies that pinched his cheeks, to the little kids that weren't even old enough for a toy broom. He had a lot of fun, danced with a lot of girls. He was well aware of photographers- there were a few reporters there. Harry was in a conversation with a rather stately looking woman he'd heard a lot about. Lady Bulstrode.

He was very friendly with Millie, so he knew that the woman was a bit overbearing and a bit of a perfectionist. Millie was much closer to her Father. His friend happened to be with her Father now, on a trip to their summer home.

Lady Bulstrode had her daughter's dark brown hair, and strong jawline, but that were the similarities ended. She wore heavy makeup, and Harry could tell her teeth looked unnaturally white. And she was far too thin. Even with the fancy robes, he could tell.

"The Warrens are members of the St. Mungo's Board, after all, they are one of their largest contributors. Perhaps, when you've left Hogwarts, you can attend the gala and start getting involved in your own philanthropic events. Perhaps the Orphan's fund, at the Ministry of Magic?"

Harry gave her a slight nod, thinking it over. "It's something to consider." He did have all that money, after all. He might as well do something with it, other than blowing it on fancy robes. Then again, who knew what the Ministry of Magic did with that money. It was something to look into. He took a sip of his punch, eyes flitting over the crowd. He smiled slightly as he saw Severus, speaking to Ella. He was wearing black. Of course he was.

Harry made his way through the crowd, stopping to say hello every now and again. He came to a stop in front of the professor and Ella, just hearing the end of their conversation.

"Congratulations again. Just remember, if you ever need to talk, I am only a floo call away."

"Thank you sir. I appreciate it." Ella said quietly. She turned to Harry, smiling, although her eyes looked a bit misty. "Hullo again, Harry."

Harry gave her a small smile, and then looked to Severus. "Professor. How is the conference going?" He was very aware of the man looking at him very carefully. He brushed a stray lock back from his shoulder absently.

"Dreadful. Actually, I must be going back. Ella, this is a wonderful reception. Thank you for the invitation."

The young woman nodded, and Severus gave a slight nod of recognition to Harry, and then went off.

Well...that had been rather depressing. He sighed, and headed for the punch bowl once more. He grinned as he saw Marcus talking to some boring matronly woman. Harry grinned at them cheekily, turning on the charm. "Mrs. Humphrey, may I borrow Marcus for a moment?"

"Of course Harry darling." The woman twittered. She watched the two of them go off, and was quickly approached by another older woman.

"Wasn't that Harry Potter?"

"Oh yes, isn't he a dear? I spoke to him earlier. He does Slytherin proud, that one."

"Oh yes, he's a darling. So pretty, and those robes! I hear he's very smart too."

x-x-x

Later on that evening, Harry and Marcus stumbled through the floo. Harry pulled Marcus close, kissing his neck. "I want you." He breathed against the boy's skin.

"Not here." Marcus murmured, hands sliding down Harry back. They shared a look, and kissed.

"Yeah, not here. I think I'm gonna be sick."

Harry and Marcus turned to the voice. Dean stood there, in his pajamas, smirking at them. "I don't want to see you two snog- ick." He made a face. "Off you trot, Marcus, Harry's already running late. Lucius will be mad..."

Marcus looked pale for a moment there. He gave a small, apologetic smile to Harry. "Sorry." He pressed a quick kiss against Harry's hair, and he went off.

Harry glared at Dean. "I'll get you for that."

Dean just grinned wickedly. "Wait till training, alright?"

x-x-x

Harry woke up on his twelfth birthday with a nightmare. He was used to it, but he hadn't had one this bad in a while. He laid there in his bed, shaking underneath the duvet. He huddled, wrapping his arms around himself. He bowed his head, trying to shake the feeling off. He exhaled slowly, and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day out, he was in his lovely room, and it was his birthday!

Harry got up from his bed, wrapping the sheet around himself. He walked over to the window, looking down. He could see the house elves preparing for his party in the back garden. There was a soft knock at his door. He glanced over his shoulder as it opened a crack. Lucius stood there, with a package in his hands. He looked a bit surprised, and Harry gave him a small smile, not bothering to cover himself up. It wasn't as though the man would be able to see everything, mostly just his shoulders, arms, and most of his back. His hair fell in soft waves, although it was a bit messy from not having been brushed, yet.

"I have a couple of presents for you." The man said quietly, coming into Harry's room. Harry turned, watching him put the package on the end of Harry's bed. Harry approached the bed, glancing at the man. Lucius looked a bit sheepish. "We, Narcissa and I, thought it might be better to open this now instead in front of your guests later on today."

Harry raised a brow, and sat on the end of his bed, pulling at the ribbon. He took the lid off, and Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.

"For your training."

Harry stared at the item in question. It looked like a whole bunch of leather straps, from this angle. Harry held it up gingerly, and he studied it for a moment. It looked as though it would be worn around his middle and shoulders. The straps were paper thin, flexible, but looked quite strong. How was it held together? Magic? He looked at Lucius, confused.

"It's to correct your posture, to be worn underneath your clothing. It resizes automatically, and fits to form your shape." He paused. "You will get used to it quickly."

There was a long training process, a preparation, for the claimant. He and Severus' relationship could be legally recognized, once announced. There was also a status thing to this as well. All the rules and regulations made Harry's head spin, but he couldn't help wanting to find out more.

The more he learnt, the more he wanted to know, the more he wanted to try things out with Severus. There were rituals that they could conduct, allowing them to share their magic. They could even share their thoughts, temporarily, though a complicated ritual. Traditions and such were to be followed, and these straps would be part of his training.

He would be expected to hold himself properly, move gracefully. Not only would this improve his gait, but it would also assist him in dueling, dancing, and other physical activities. He'd already recieved training in other areas, such as the tea service and such, from Ella and Narcissa, but there was a whole lot more. It was a long road ahead of him, but he was looking forward to it.

x-x-x

Harry's birthday party was fun. It was small, in comparison to the other parties the Malfoys often had. In addition to all of their Slytherin yearmates, Hannah, Susan, and Neville were also invited. Dean was just glad he wasn't the only Slytherin there.

Most of the boys played Quidditch on the pitch, while the girls gossiped. Neville was the only other boy that remained behind with Harry. He was rather quiet and awkward. He was friendly with Dean, Hannah, and Susan, of course, but it didn't help that Draco teased him quite a bit at school. Still, Harry did his best to be accomodating and polite.

Do you like our gardens?" Harry asked, knowing that Longbottom was good in herbology. Hermione had mentioned this during one of their AKDA meetings.

Neville nodded quickly. Harry took him by the arm, guiding him through the gardens. Neville blushed slightly at this, but Harry paid him no mind. "Susan told me your birthday was yesterday. Happy belated birthday."

"...Thanks." Neville murmured.

Harry gave him a small smile. "I know Draco and the others like to tease, but we're not all like that, you know. No need to be shy with me."

Neville couldn't meet his eye, and he was still blushing. "Why do you want to talk to me anyways?"

Harry laughed softly. "Dean thinks you're nice, and so does Hermione." Well, Dean hadn't used the word nice...he'd used gullible.

"You know Hermione?" Neville asked in surprise.

"Of course I do. You know, you're welcome to join our study group this year, if you like."

"Study group?" Neville asked with wide eyes.

Harry gave him a wink. "Ass Kicking Defense Association. After that horrible Quirrel, we wanted to study on our own. We were thinking about asking a few others to join, and you're nice enough. What do you say?"

"...er, okay." Neville said quietly, eyes dropping to the ground.

Harry sighed, tugging him further into the gardens. "You know...if the others bully you, you should really try standing up for yourself." He gave Neville a smirk. "I have it on good authority Draco hates anything that messes up his hair."

Neville bit back a laugh at this, looking more relaxed. "Really?"

"Yeah. And if you're feeling a bit nervous, just ask Dean to back you up."

Neville's smiled faded at this. "Did Dean really stab that boy?"

Harry sighed. "It was a dueling competition. There are bound to be...injuries. Anyways, that boy said some pretty awful things to Dean."

Neville frowned. "Like what?"

It was Harry's turn to look down. "Dean's parentage, among other things. He was just trying to rile Dean up, distract him...and Dean just reacted."

"Oh yeah...you two grew up in the muggle world together. So...is it true Dean doesn't have parents either? He...never mentions them...did they die?"

Harry sighed. "Dean...well, he grew up in a rough neighborhood, just like I did. His Mum left when he was just a baby, leaving with his Dad, who...wasn't around much." Complete lie. Opposite actually. His Father was around _too_ much. "When Dean heard about the wizarding world, like me, he thought he could make a better life for himself here, and left it all behind."

"So...he's staying here with you? Are...the Malfoys okay with him being a..."

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "He's more than proved himself worthy. He's willing to learn, and that goes a long way in their books. Dean will actually be staying with the Weasleys for the rest of the holidays, after tomorrow."

Harry noted Neville's expression. "I know...Ron's rather rude and...annoying. But Dean and the twins get on quite well, I'm sure you know that already, don't you? Let's go see what the girls are up to, eh?"

x-x-x

Harry was walking in between Draco and Dean, and all of them were carrying their supplies with them. Dean had his things shrunken in his bag, ready to go when they met up with the Weasleys at Flourish and Blott's. There was to be a book signing that day- Gilderoy Lockhart, the famous Author, would be there. Coincidentally, all of his books were on their booklist.

Harry thought it was rather clever- whoever was their teacher this year must be a fan, and wanted to give Lockhart a load of money. Harry could tell, from just seeing his pictures in the papers and in the magazines, that the man was extremely camera friendly and was popular with the ladies. According to Lucius, the man was also a vapid idiot, but Harry would watch and see.

The bookstore was packed, and Harry fought his way through the crowds to get his books. He bumped into a small red headed girl- she must have been a first year, looking at her books. This must be Ginny. She wore a faded looking threadbare dress, and a too-big sweater. Still, she was quite pretty.

"Ginny Weasley, right?"

The girl blushed spectacularly. "...That's right." They shook hands.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter. Now, where are your brothers and your Mum and Dad? I'm sure they're worried about where you are..."

They were shoved around a bit- Lockart began to speak, and the photographer's camera went off.  
Harry had to admire the man- he took good pictures. Even if he was a bit...annoying.

Then their gazes locked, and Harry suddenly felt on edge. There was a calculating gleam in this man's eye, and Harry instantly knew that everyone underestimated this man.

"Dear God, Harry Potter!"

A hush fell over the crowd. The Photographer pushed him forward, and Lockhart grabbed him by the arm, pulling Harry to his side.

"Together, you and I make the front page!" The man called out gaily, and Harry let the photographer take his pictures, trying to be as polite as possible. It was hard, considering Lockhart's hands were wandering over his shoulders, and he smelled so...cloyingly sweet. Too sweet, as though he'd bathed in perfume.

After he got a load of free books, he stumbled away from the man, handing them over to Ginny. He wasn't about to read those books, and the girl would need them anyways. He just wanted to get away.

Unfortunately, he spotted Lucius and the Weasleys talking to each other, Dean looking trapped between them. Harry grabbed his best friend before the brawl began. They left the store for a breather, and Harry and Dean exchanged a look.

They burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. The wizarding world was such a strange place.

"I'll miss you Harry."

"You'll just miss the House Elves' food,darling." Harry kissed his cheek. "Make sure to write."

"Of course. I'll see about having you come over for a visit one afternoon. Weasley, Ron, that is, is rabid to have you as a friend, so I don't think it'll be too hard to do the invite."

"Sounds like fun." Harry grinned.

The two boys glanced through the window at the crowded shop. Lucius and Draco came out, looking rather ruffled, while Arthur followed, the rest of his children following close behind.

Mr. Weasley glanced at Harry, and Dean spoke up. "Oh, Mr. Weasley, this is my friend Harry."

Harry shook hands with him politely, ignoring the glares from Draco and Lucius.

"Very nice to meet you, young man. Dean, are you ready?"

"Yes sir."

"Alright then, have a good holiday Harry, it was nice to meet you. Off we go, kids!"

And they left.

"Stupid little muggle lovers." Draco muttered under his breath. Harry stomped on his toe 'accidentally'.

x-x-x

Harry liked the Burrow,he decided. It was chaotic and fun, and nothing like Malfoy Manor. He felt out of place in his nice robes, while everyone dressed so casually. He really liked Molly Weasley. She was what he imagined a proper mum would be like. A bit overbearing, but full of love for her kids. He could see why Dean liked the place. Harry hung around the kitchen mostly, after the tour of the ramshackle house. He liked watching Mrs. Weasley cook. He hadn't done it in ages, ever since he'd left the muggle world.

They talked recipes and about the kids growing up. He gathered quite a bit of blackmail material on all the Weasley kids, should they ever piss him off.

x-x-x

Harry and Draco were off to Hogwarts again, for their second year. Draco was saying goodbye to his parents, with Harry watching on with a small smile. He wore smart looking dark blue robes, with his cream colored under-robes that he liked so much. He had opted to keep his hair long, never having spelled it back to its formally shorter length after the wedding. It was currently pulled back in a plait that fell to the small of his back.

It was Harry's turn to say his goodbyes. He kissed both of Narcissa's cheeks informally. The woman sighed happily. "Alright Harry, you should get going. Make sure to do your best this year, study hard, make us proud."

"Of course, Mum." Harry said this last word with a relish, grinning, and then looking towards Lucius. He shook hands with the man, just as Draco did. "Sir. See you for Yule, then?"

"Of course. And make sure to write."

x-x-x

Yay, another chapter finished, and Harry's second year is starting! I hope you guys like the chappie. For my other work, check out my profile- I've got lots!

Thanks for reading, Hecateslover


	16. Chapter 16

Love In the Dark

So...things...not so good at the moment. A lot happened today. Not only did I celebrate Beltane, I got some bad news. It didn't make me feel very celebratory. :(

I learned that my Mom will have heart surgery tomorrow- she had been rushed to the hospital with breathing problems, and it turns out it was actually her heart. It was completely unexpected, an effect of a hereditary condition that none of us even realized ran in our family until My Grandmother started asking around. So...scary. I'm terrified that my Mom...well, my Uncle died just a few years back, and I don't know how our family will handle my Mom going too. My Uncle died when he was just 42, from an accidental overdose. My Mom is 49. On top of all this, my Grandmother says I should get tested too- she's usually in the school of "You're fine, you don't need to see a doctor. Let me just put some aloe on it." When she says I should get tested...that's serious.

Considering all the health problems I had growing up, well...I'm freaking out. On top of all this, I live in another state and have no money, so I can't be with her. So...yeah. I just hope she's okay. I normally don't share stuff like this in my posts, but I'll keep you guys updated.

I had started this chapter the other day...otherwise I wouldn't be in the mood to write properly right now. :(

* * *

Harry held court inside his compartment, listening the other girls gossip. He was sitting with Millie, Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey. All of them were gossiping about the various trips they went on over the holidays. Draco was holding court in the next compartment over, with all the Slytherin boys. Millie looked very happy, he reflected. Spending all that time with her Father over the summer had done her some good. It may have been because all of Millie's brothers were out of the house now, so that their Father could focus on her.

She'd even convinced her Father to take her to a few muggle art museums! Harry didn't know how she convinced him, but he was glad for it. The girl was very enthusiastic about the things she'd learnt over the holidays, showing off her new art history books. Pansy and the other girls were turned off by the imagery, but Harry wasn't.

There was a soft knock on the compartment door, and it opened slightly. Hermione stood there, looking rather unsure of herself, and Ginny stood closely with her.

"Do you mind if we join you guys?" Hermione asked.

Harry could tell the Slytherin girls were going to turn them away- but he spoke up. "Sure, there's room for more." He said with a smile.

Daphne, Tracey, and Pansy hurried to move to the other side, while Millie stayed put, staring at Ginny.

Both Ginny and Hermione sat down on their side. "This is Ginny Weasley, she's just starting her first year." Hermione said with a smile. It looked as though Hermione had taken the red head under her wing already- how cute.

"We know who she is." Pansy bit out, eyes narrowed.

Ginny looked uncomfortable at this, fiddling with her sleeve. "Maybe I should go..."

"No, you don't have to leave." Harry said, giving a Look to Pansy. He turned back to Ginny and Hermione. "So, we were just talking about our holidays. Millie was just telling us that she went to the National Gallery in London with her Father."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Really? I went there a few years back, on a school trip. Do you like art?"

Millie nodded hesitatingly. "I like to draw. Convincing Father to go to the muggle world was a bit tough, but worth it. I still can't believe that muggles could be so talented."

Hermione went off about the various artists through history that had connections to the wizarding world, impressing Harry with her knowledge. Ginny remained fairly quiet. Having spoken to the girl briefly, he could understand why she was intimidated.

"So, what do you girls think about Lockhart being our Defense professor?"

As he predicted, all of them giggled and blushed. "He's so cute!" "He's so brave-" "And that smile!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I think he's a waste of space. He might be good looking, but I don't think he'll be all that great of a teacher." He turned to Ginny. "Ginny, you should join us in our study group. I think you'll have fun. Hermione's already in it, and I've asked Neville to join-"

"What! Longbottom, seriously?" Pansy sneered.

Harry glared at her, as did Hermione. Hermione spoke up. "Neville's nice. He might be a bit...accident prone, but he really isn't that bad."

Harry turned back to Ginny, who was blushing for some reason. "And Dean's in the group too. It'll be lots of fun, and you'll learn quite a bit. Hey, you might even teach us a few things!"

"What...what sort of things do we learn in this study group?" Ginny asked quietly.

"All sorts of things, but we focus on Defense. That's why it's called AKDA, or the Ass-Kicking Defense Association."

Giggles filled the compartment at this, except from Hermione, who was rolling her eyes.

x-x-x

Harry was sitting the Great Hall, at the Slytherin table, watching the Sorting. The first years were an odd bunch- there were a lot more of them than in Harry's year. He thought it may have been because Voldemort had died and people were procreating...er celebrating.

Harry's eyes zoned in on a blonde girl that looked quite out of place in comparison to the rest of the first years. She had long white blonde hair that fell to theback of her thighs. It needed a good brushing, but it was still pretty. Even from where he sat, he could see her bright pink high tops and the brightly colored jewelry she wore. She was rather pretty, with big eyes, pale skin, and a small mouth- very dreamy, unusual looking. She stuck out in the sea of black robes, and Harry was drawn to her for some reason.

She was Sorted into Ravenclaw, her name was Luna Lovegood. It suited her. He leant over to Millie, and whispered quietly. "Do you know anything about her?"

Millie frowned slightly. "The Lovegoods are an old pureblood family, originating from Sweden. They came here during the war with Grindewald. They're a bit strange, though."

"I like her." Harry said with a smile.

"You haven't even talked to her yet." Millie pointed out.

"I still like her, though."

Harry clapped hard for Ginny when she was Sorted into Gryffindor. The girl was greeted by her brothers happily, and she sat next to Hermione at the table. She hadn't seen any Gryffindorish tendencies from the girl, but that didn't mean anything.

Harry looked to the staff table just as the Feast began, and smiled at Severus. The man did not smile back, of course, but acknowledged him with a slight lift of his goblet. Harry did the same, and then noticed Lockhart sitting right next to the man. Lockhart was smiling at him, and not in a nice way. Harry squirmed in his seat, looking down at his plate.

x-x-x

And so, classes began. Harry was glad to be back at Hogwarts. While he did like being at Malfoy Manor, it was far too quiet for his tastes. He missed being around all the people, seeing Severus, and learning magic. Of course, not everything went smoothly.

Marcus had been avoiding him for some reason, since their return- Harry knew that the upper years were watching this year's firsties to see if any of them would be appealing enough to join their group. Ella's spot had been taken over by Vania, who Harry had never really liked all that much. The girl was a snob and a bit...annoying, honestly.

It came time for the Test, and Harry was ushered into the Watching room, along with the rest of the group. The first year boys were already in their holes, tied up and unconcious.

"Pott- Harry, what are you doing here?" Draco hissed at him.

Harry turned slightly, and Vania spoke. "He's a part of this group. Now, shush Draco."

They watched Flint approach the first candidate. The little boy screamed like murder, clearly frightened. The next candidate fared a little better, but only just. Harry could tell that the older students were resigned and dissapointed, but it would have to do. Their newest male member was Peter Graves. He was a pureblood, of course, had brown hair and eyes, and olive colored skin. The short amount of time that Harry spent with him in the common room told him that the boy was rather quiet and studious, and wasn't prone to posturing or gossip. Still, a much better choice than the other boy.

As the older students filed out of the room, Draco grabbed his arm. "Why didn't you tell me? And how is this possible, they only have one candidate for boys, one for girls."

Harry gave him a Look. "I suppose I'm girly enough to be the girl's candidate for our year. Look, it doesn't really matter."

"It does- Father was in this group, and so was Uncle Severus-"

"Boys." Marcus said sharply. "Shush. It's after curfew, and I don't want any of us getting caught."

Everyone went back to the common room, leading the candidates back to the dorms. Harry hung behind, catching Marcus' eye. Everyone else went on, Harry followed Marcus to his room quietly.

The sixth year barely had time to move away before Harry closed the door behind himself, and threw himself into Marcus' arms.

"Throw me a bone, Flint, we haven't even snogged in months." Harry pressed a kiss against the boy's lips. Marcus was unresponsive.

Harry pulled away, frowning. Marcus pushed him away, walking to his bed.

"Look...I'm sorry Harry. I wanted to talk to you, but...I just couldn't find the right time."

Harry crossed his arms over his chest. He glanced around the bedroom. He had been in Marcus' room before, the previous term, in the numerous times they had fooled around. Marcus buried his head in his hands, looking defeated.

"Father arranged a Match for me." Marcus said quietly.

Harry sat on the bed next to him, looking pale. "A Match? Really?"

"Yes. It would have been different, if I had a girlfriend...but...anyways, she's an old friend of the family's. Francesca. She goes to Durmstrang." The boy opened his bedside drawing, rummaging through it and pulling out a picture.

Harry stared at the picture in his lover's hand. "She's pretty."

"...I'm sorry Harry. It's just...I'm going to try and make it work with her. My parents, they never really loved each other. I had always hoped that I would eventually marry someone that I honestly cared about...she's a lovely girl, and really funny. I think we could make it work."

"It's okay." Harry's voice sounded dead, almost. He understood, honestly, he did. For some strange reason, it hurt so much. Perhaps Marcus had meant more to him than he thought.

"So...are we okay?"

Harry sighed, and hugged Marcus loosely. "Yeah. We're good. I'll be on my best behavior."

Marcus smiled down at him, ruffling up his bangs. His eyes were sad and worried. "We'll still have training...we can still talk. Okay?"

"...Okay." Harry pulled away from him, standing. "Congratulations. So...when will you marry?"

"As soon as she graduates from school. A year after I do."

Harry gave him a slight nod. "I...I should get going." He breathed, and tore out of the room. He ran all the way to his own room, and screamed and cried as soon as the door closed behind himself.

x-x-x

Melina Wentworth became the girl's choice for that year. She was as cute as a button, and Harry thought she had a good head on her shoulders. She wasn't afraid of getting her hands dirty, that was for sure. He was looking forward to spending some time with her.

x-x-x

When Harry arrived to his first class with Lockhart, he was already in a bad mood. Draco was still pissed off at him, and he was avoiding Marcus like the plague. He just needed some space, he told himself, just for a little while. He gave a small smile to Dean, who was sitting in the back row. Neville was sitting on his other side, and Hermione sat in front of him.

"Hey. You look horrible."

Harry sighed. "Thanks." He muttered sarcastically.

"What, you lose your favorite hairbrush?"

Harry glared at his best friend, getting some parchment out and getting his things ready. He glanced around the classroom, frowning at all the pictures of their Professor, staring down at them. He shivered, the creepy vibe intensifying. This man was very vain. Harry knew that he himself had a small vanity problem, but it was nothing in comparison to this man's.

"Lockhart is creepy." Harry muttered.

"Don't I know it." Dean said back, frowning. "I don't think he did those things like he said he did."

Hermione turned and glared at them slightly. Harry rolled his eyes at this, and the classroom door opened. Lockhart was wearing lavender robes, made of silk. They were garish and completely innapropriate for the setting, but the color still looked good on the poncey man. Lockhart made his little speech, and Harry ignored it, choosing to draw rude pictures of him in the margin of his parchment.

They took a quiz- Harry refused to answer the questions. He just scribbled whatever BS came to his head at the time. Hermione got all the answers correct, of course, Lockhart had insisted he read her answers out to the class. The girl preened under the attention.

As everyone left the classroom, Harry realized it would be a better use of his time to skip the man's classes completely, and study on his own.

"Mr. Potter?" The man called after him, just as he was heading out the door.

Harry turned slightly, waving Dean and the others on. "Yes sir?"

Lockhart was smiling at him strangely, eyeing him up. "So, how did you like my class?"

"It was fine." Harry said blandly, wanting to take a step back as the man flicked his wand, closing the door behind Harry.

"I'm afraid you didn't do all that well on our little quiz. Did you read my books?" His voice was like honey, and that smell was there again...ugh.  
A sudden headache formed in his head, and he found himself pulled into a chair.

"Are you alright, my boy?" The man was hovering over him now. Harry wanted to tell him to shove off, Harry wanted to shove his dagger into his side, but he couldn't seem to make himself move.

Harry set his head down on the desk, closing his eyes. He must have dozed off, because a short while later, the bell was ringing, and Lockhart was shaking him awake.

"Harry, look at the time- you should be getting to class!"

Harry nodded, running a hand through his hair, and walked out of the classroom quickly, wanting to get away from that man. He felt sore and tired- it might have been from not getting enough sleep lately...he wasn't sure.

He arrived to transfiguration, frowning as the classroom was filled with fourth year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. McGonagall came to the door, frowning.

"Mr. Potter, you missed your class."

"...I did?" Harry said, sounding confused.

"Yes..." The woman trailed off. "You look a bit pale. Are you alright?"

"...I'm fine."

x-x-x

And the term continued. There were small, strange occurrences that began happening to Harry- he was feeling tired all the time, and so achey. It was almost as strange as the mysterious petrifications that were happening around the school. And then he started to hear a voice. It frightened him, even he knew that hearing voices in the wizarding world was a bad thing. He just hoped it would go away. The AKDA was going well- Ginny and Neville were a good addition to the group.

Outside of the group, Harry kept to himself more. He just wasn't...as interested in flirting with random boys this year. Maybe it was because of stress, or because of Marcus ditching him, he didn't know. He just...felt off.

Also, Harry got his first official fanboy. Colin Creevey. He was a Gryffindor, and rather adorable, but he was a bit annoying sometimes. He was a muggleborn, and carried around a camera everywhere with him. Harry gave him the shots he wanted, as long as he got copies of them.

Draco was being terrible to the younger students, and to some of the shyer students of their year, like Neville. More than once, Harry had to get on to Draco, and get the twins to prank him. Severus was avoiding Harry for some reason. No, it wasn't obvious, but the man wasn't as open to him as he was the previous year.

Harry didn't understand what was suddenly so wrong with him. Was he doing something wrong? After all these years, did his skills of attraction finally not work any more? It was frustrating, and annoying.

On top of it all, the puberty monster arrived in full force. This was shaping out to be a terrible year.

He'd nearly bowed out of going to the Dueling club that had been hosted by Lockhart and Snape, but Millie had dragged him to it. Once they were there, Harry was happy to go, glad to see Lockhart get so thoroughly trounced by Severus.

Hearing the snake speak had terrified him. He'd known for a while that he could talk to snakes, what with there being Snake insignias all over the place in the dungeons, but actually hearing a live snake speak only made his suspicions come clear.

He was the Heir of Slytherin.

x-x-x

So...there's the chapter. Yeah. Sorry I'm not as bubbly as I usually am. Please review, I'll try to post back. If...bad things happen with my Mom...you guys would understand if there was a short hiatus, right? Maybe? Sigh.

It's kind of strange. My Uncle died back in 2007, about the same time my Girlfriend and I got together. We're still together, and now I have a boyfriend too. Go me. They're trying to cheer me up and stuff- heck, even Beltane was today. But...things have been rather stressful lately. I was in Chicago for a seasonal job (back in November and December), and came back home to find no work. I've been looking for work for the past few months, and all I've been able to find is freelance stuff. I've even interviewed for fast food places, and was turned down because I had TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE. WTH? They said I would be bored at a job like that, but I'd rather have a boring job than nothing at all.

I've just been really stressed out lately, and writing this is my outlet. Art is too, but in a different way- with art, I linger on things too much- I do best at that when I'm tired, but happy. With writing, it makes me forget all the bad shit that's happening in my life. Fanfiction was one of my biggest outlets after my Uncle died, and I just hope that I'm still inspired enough to write for all of you.

I've been through a lot of shit in my life. Sometimes it sounds like a movie, or a book you'd read, and not the happy kind. Maybe someday...I'll share it with all of you. Until then, please read, and review.


	17. Chapter 17

Love In the Dark

Thank you everyone for the well wishes. My Grandmother called me this morning and told me that my Mom is okay. The surgery went well enough, although it had been a close call there for a minute. She's feeling better already, and hopefully she won't be stuck in the hospital for too long. I'm not able to talk to her yet, but I will when she's not asleep from meds and can hold a phone. :3

Thanks again, everyone.

* * *

Harry dodged one of Dean's hits, throwing his weight behind a punch, and ducking soon afterwards. Dean and Harry were sparring, while everyone else in the AKDA did the same. Their newest members, the twins, Luna, and Ginny, were holding their own. Colin, one of their other new members, had been petrified not too long beforehand, and everyone was throwing themselves into training.

Harry believed that Ginny had been close to Colin, as she was unusually quiet lately, and rather pale. She had even missed a couple of meetings since then. The twins did their best to cheer things up, but it usually resulted in chaos that ended the AKDA meetings early. Hermione and some of the others were searching in the library like mad about what sort of Monster could possibly reside in the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry felt horrible. What if this...creature was taking over his body and making him petrify people? There were too many what ifs. He refrained from his outings in Knockturne and other places, afraid that this...thing, whatever it was, would start petrifying people outside the school as well.

It was so frustrating! He felt stifled in this school, so isolated and alone. Severus wasn't talking to him, and he didn't want to bother Marcus. And he couldn't write to Lucius and Narcissa- he didn't know if his mail would be watched. He threw a particularly hard punch at Dean, and his best friend caught his arm, twisting it behind him. To his horror, Harry felt his vision waver at the sudden pain, and tears falling down his face.

"Harry?" He heard Millie ask worriedly, and everyone else stopped their sparring.

Harry sank to the floor as Dean let go of him. Harry buried his face in his hands, trying to get himself to stop crying. What was wrong with him? Unbeknownst to him, several small objects around the room began to shake, and the desks that were lined against the wall, shifted slightly. He and Dean had been sparring for years- a little pain was nothing. What was happening to him?

"Harry?" Dean put his hand on Harry's shoulder, and Harry flinched. "What's wrong?"

"...I don't k-know." Harry sobbed. He felt so ashamed. He wasn't supposed to break down like this. He wasn't supposed to show weakness, especially not in front of everyone.

The others moved around him, and Harry felt on edge. He stood, pushing Dean away from him. "Go away." He cried, hands shaking.

"Harry, maybe you should go to the hospi-"

"No!" Harry snarled, and an ink well exploded, not that he noticed. "I must go." He left the room.

Dean looked at the others, who looked rather frightened. Dean frowned. "I guess this meeting is over. Tell no one what you saw today. I'll talk with Harry."

"But-" Granger looked as though she was about to argue, but Dean gave her a hard look. She shut up. Susan gave a shaken Hannah a hug, and everyone filed out quietly.

x-x-x

Dean knocked tentatively on the door in front of him, feeling rather nervous. He knew that Harry and Snape were rather close, but he wasn't exactly sure how close they were. Harry wasn't exactly forthcoming about his feelings for the man, but Dean did have eyes, and he could read Harry pretty well.

The man opened the door, and upon seeing his expression, he allowed the boy inside.

"I think something is wrong with Harry." Dean spoke first.

Snape gave him an unreadable look. "I know he's stressed out over the Heir of Slytherin business- we all are."

"No...I think it's something else." Dean said, watching Snape move to sit behind his desk. Dean remained standing, feeling uncomfortable. The few times they had spoken alone together had been about Gary and the boys, and none of them had been pleasant experiences.

"We had an AKDA meeting yesterday, and he just...broke down. I've never seen him like this before. I tried talking to him earlier today, but..."

"I see. What happened exactly?"

"He...well, he was crying. Angry. Defensive. But something is telling me that things are terribly wrong. I know it's not just the whole thing with Flint-"

"What thing with Flint?" Severus asked sharply.

Dean eyed him. "Flint's betrothed. Harry told me ages ago. I thought you knew."

Severus frowned, clearly a bit confused. "Yes...I'm aware."

"Flint broke it off with him in the first week of school."

Severus' eyes hardened. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Dean mumbled. "Harry...um, hasn't even been his usual self lately, if you know what I mean. He's just...not there anymore. Something is wrong. But I don't know what."

"...I see." Severus said, looking down. His dark hair slid in front of his face, shielding it a bit. "I wonder why Harry didn't tell me about Flint himself."

Dean made a noise of frustration. "Maybe it's because he's absolutely bonkers over you and didn't want to bother you with all that!" He yelled, not caring that the man was his professor. "Look, I know all of you guys have been busy lately, searching the school for this Monster or whatever, but you...Claimed Harry, right? You have to keep him safe, right? Well, something is obviously wrong with him. If you don't do anything about it, I will." Dean's voice hardened.

"How did...did Harry tell you..."

"Of course he did!" Dean snarled. "I told you, Harry tells me everything. Okay, maybe not all the mushy graphic stuff, but enough to know that he cares about you! Now, get off your ass and show him that you care about him too, before he does something crazy!"

x-x-x

Harry was sitting in an empty classroom, trying to figure out how he got there. The last thing he'd remembered, he'd been walking in the corridor. Then the next thing he knew, he was sitting here.

He was officially freaking out. The holidays were coming up soon, and he as sure as hell didn't want to face the Malfoys alone in this state. They would know straight away that something was wrong. Harry frowned as he looked down at his school tie and shirt. His school tie was undone, and one of the buttons on his shirt had been left undone.

He stared at the buttonhole of his shirt, wondering what had happened while he'd been...out of it. He quickly came to the conclusion that he'd done something horrible this time. He pushed up his sleeves, checking for any bruises, scratches, anything that would give any clues. Nothing. He opened his shirt, feeling shaken, staring down at his chest.

Nothing. Nothing looked different. Wait. He frowned, pushing his sleeve back, revealing his shoulder. He'd had a bruise there this morning, from sparring with Dean. And...it was gone. Completely gone.

Yeah, he was achey and hurt like hell, but there were no marks on him.

Harry buttoned his top quickly, fingers flying, and tied his tie. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. If he'd attacked some poor person in the way that he thought he did, there would be more evidence. Bruises, scratches, marks, something. Whoever he'd been involved with...well, either they had been willing, or Harry had cleaned up the evidence afterwards.

As he headed out into the corridor, he passed by an ugly looking kneazle, not even noticing it.

x-x-x

Kneazle Voldemort was wandering the corridor, feeling quite full off of a nice tasty spider he'd eaten. The critters were in quite the tizzy with his basilisk running loose. He just needed to find that Diary, and he would have his body back! He would have just possessed his Basilisk, but the beast wasn't what he needed. He needed something subtle, something that allowed him to blend in and gather information. Kneazles were a step up from cats, magically, and it allowed him to posses them for just a while longer. Whoever had that diary, however, was hiding it very well. Still, he loved chaos, and Hogwarts was full of it at the moment.

Including the chaos surrounding the Boy Who Lived. The boy was different this year, quieter. Kneazle Voldemort couldn't help but be impressed with some of the books and tomes he'd taken to reading in the library, throwing himself into his studies after curfew. But...there was something odd happening. Kneazle Voldemort as though the boy was conflicted about something, that something was going on that even he did not know about, and he did not like that one bit!

x-x-x

Harry watched Professor Snape post the sign on the bulletin board in the common room, the sign up sheet for anyone who wanted to stay for the holidays. It was largely ignored, as most Slytherins went home for the holidays. Harry approached the Professor, quill in hand, and signed his name on the paper.

The man frowned slightly at this. "I thought you would be with Lucius and Narcissa for the Holidays, Mr. Potter."

Harry ignored the statement, putting his quill in his pocket. He couldn't go to the Manor. He didn't want to hurt Lucius or Narcissa with...whatever was happening to him. He'd been researching like mad, but he couldn't find anything. But...he feared he was being possessed. Like how Voldemort had possessed Quirrel.

Harry's eyes met Severus' for a moment, and the man's eyes narrowed. Harry shivered slightly, and took a step back.

"You...you just tried to legilimense me." Harry hissed at him, gritting his teeth.

Severus' frown deepened, and he grabbed Harry by the arm. The other students in the common room went quiet as they saw the Professor and Harry leaving the space in such a way. Draco, being as nosy as he was, had to follow them.

"What's going on?" The blonde asked.

Harry glared at Severus. "Nothing."

Severus spoke to his Godson, adjusting his grip on Harry's arm. "I just need to speak to Mr. Potter a moment, about why he wanted to stay here for the holidays."

Draco frowned, looking to Harry. "Whyever did you want to stay here? You know Mother and Father have a room set up for you."

"I...I just wanted to catch up on some studying." Harry grit out.

Snape dragged Harry down the corridor, into his office. Draco stared after them, his head.

"He's mad. Why would he want to stay here?" Draco sneered, and went right back into the common room.

x-x-x

Harry was shoved none-to-gently once he was inside the Professor's office. Severus looked pissed.

"What is going on with you?" The man snarled. "Your marks are falling, you've been missing classes, it's worsened especially in the last couple of weeks. What's going on with you and Flint?"

Harry sank into a chair with a sigh, burying his face in his hands. "Flint...I guess...he broke up with me. Not that we were in any sort of formal relationship." He muttered.

Severus' lips thinned at this. "So...you're depressed about this boy?"

Harry looked at him angrily. "No...it's not just that. Marcus was a friend, yeah, but I understand why he did it." Harry snapped at him. "He wants to make a go with his fiance, and I totally get why he wants to be happy and all. If I had..." Harry shook his head.

Severus had never really approved of Matches happening so early. It wasn't done as often, nowadays, but it still happened.

"Where have you been, when you're missing classes?"

"I...I don't know." Harry said quietly.

Severus scowled at him. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

Harry looked away, trying to will himself not to cry. "I don't know, okay? I...I don't remember."

"...Tell me." Severus stated, growing worried. There was a great number of reasons why someone would have a gap in their memories, and none of them were good.

"It's been happening all term. I...I think I'm the one that's attacking those kids. I...I'm horrible, aren't I?" Harry asked, his shell cracking.

"You can't be the Heir. Your Mother was a muggleborn, and your Father's line were always Gryffindors. Always."

Harry stifled a choked laugh. "What better way to disguise themselves? Severus, I've been trying to find a way to make it stop, but I...I can't." Harry began to cry, and Severus knelt by the boy's seat.

Harry threw himself into the man's arms, crying onto his shoulder. "Severus...I need help. I'm so scared. I don't know what to do. I've been trying to keep to the castle, so as whatever is happening to me won't take control when I'm outside the school. The last thing I need is to start attacking people when I'm in...what if I'm possessed? Like...Like Quirrel?" Harry asked in a small voice.

Severus pulled away slightly, taking out his own handkerchief. He cleaned up Harry's face, taking those ruddy glasses off and cleaning them.

"You're not possessed. Believe me, I'd know. After last year, I did all the research I could about possession, and the possible side affects. You clearly don't display any of them- the clearest affect being that you are not wearing a turban to cover the Dark Lord's face on the back of your head."

Harry cracked a smile at this, a small one. "Did you just joke?"

Severus sniffed. "Certainly not." He cleaned the handkerchief with a flick of his wrist, and handed it to the boy. Harry put it into his own pocket. "Now, this is what we will do. You will go to all of your classes. You will do all of your homework, and do the best you can. I want those marks to be back up where they belong at the end of term."

Harry looked down, fiddling with one of the buttons on Severus' robes.

"And I will look into possible reasons why you have gaps in your memory. There may be ways to recover them, and I will figure it out. We will get to the bottom of this."

Harry sighed, hugging the man around his neck. "Thank you sir." He whispered.

The man slowly wrapped his own arms around Harry's middle, loosely. "Harry...why didn't you come to me before?"

Harry didn't answer straight away, he was trying to figure out the right words for it. "I...didn't want...to bother you." Harry said quietly. "I...I didn't want to appear weak. I'm so used to handling things on my own...and I know you've got enough going on..."

"No." Severus shushed him, holding Harry close. "You can always come to me if you've got a problem. And you're not weak."

"...Don't you want me to be?" Harry asked, looking a bit confused.

"What?"

Harry pulled away, looking down to the floor. "In the books...they said I was...supposed to be submissive to you."

"Books? Which...oh Merlin. Where did you get those books?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "The Malfoys. They gave them to me."

"Why would the Malfoys..." Severus trailed off, frowning. "I see. Did they give you anything else?"

Harry shifted on his feet slightly. "Yes. A posture training harness. I...I only wear it at night, though. I didn't want to explain to Madam Pomfrey or anyone if I got in an accident. Severus...please don't be mad. I...I found the books, I wanted to learn."

Severus just shook his head. "We will not discuss this. We have...other things to be worrying about at the moment. When...this mess is all over, you will show me these books, and we will be talking about your training."

"Yes sir."

x-x-x

In the end, Harry did end up staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Severus had insisted, no matter what Lucius and Narcissa had said. He and Severus did some research about what could possibly going on with Harry. He did feel a little better that the man wanted to help, that Severus thought he really wasn't the Heir.

They even did a thorough search of Harry's family history, even asking for information from Gringott's to prove it. They did, however, find out that Harry was distantly related to Peverell, an ancient wizarding family, one of the oldest in Europe. With this information, he would be qualified for a much greater sum when he inherited.

One of the Peverell branches was related distantly to Slytherin, but Severus assured him that many other pureblood families were just as distantly related, himself included. However, they did find out that the last in the Slytherin line was one Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he was still alive.

"See, you aren't the Heir." Severus said to him quietly, piles of books spread out around them on the man's floor. They were sitting in his quarters, and it was Christmas Eve.

Harry breathed out in relief. "So...I'm not attacking anyone. But...who is this Riddle guy? Have you heard of him?"

Severus frowned at this. "Not really..."

The fireplace flared, and the Headmaster's voice rang out.

"Severus...oh, and Harry! I need to speak to you both, my boys." And the fire went back to normal.

Harry and Severus exchanged a look, and went through the floo to the Headmaster's office. Harry looked around at the place. One door, lots of windows, and the fireplace. He could guarantee that it was warded to the hilt. And what were all those trinkets for?

It was then that he noticed that Narcissa was sitting in front of the Headmaster's desk, wearing a traveling cloak. She was looking at Harry worriedly.

"Harry, my darling, are you alright?" She went to him, brushing her palm against his cheek. Harry took a step back, looking down to the floor.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here, Narcissa?"

"It's Christmas Eve. I couldn't just let you stay here in this drafty castle with no company..." The woman sniffed. "Come home. We've got a good dinner waiting for us, and presents all around in the morning..."

"No." Harry said quietly.

Narcissa frowned, and she glanced at the others. She dropped her voice, moving so that she shielded Harry from the others. "What do you mean? What's going on? Draco told me that you've had some trouble."

"It...It's nothing." Harry said quietly. "Sev- Professor Snape is helping me. Don't worry. I'll be fine."

It was true. Since the holidays had began, he hadn't had any unexplained gaps. He wasn't sure how it had stopped, but he wasn't going to question it.

The following day, Harry woke to a pile of presents at the foot of his bed. Dean had gotten him some new gloves, while the Slytherin girls had all gone in together and had gotten him a subscription to Witch Weekly, since they knew he read it. The Twins had given him some gag gifts, while the Malfoys had given him sweets and clothes. Luna gave him a bracelet made out of corks, while Hermione had given him a muggle book on Defense.

Severus had given him something rather nice- it was a new cloak. It was thick and heavy, and styled similarly to Severus' own. Instead of it having a black lining, it had green instead. There there was a gift that was not labeled. As Harry stared at the package he wondered if this was a tradition, to get an anonymous gift every year.

He opened the small package, eyes widening at the photo that laid within. Why in the hell would Lockhart give him an autographed photo? In the corner, was inscribed in gold ink: _To my Dearest Fan- Gilderoy_

Harry shivered, shoving the photo into a drawer, never wanting to look at it again. So creepy.

x-x-x

Thanks again everyone, for the well wishes. My Mom's going to be okay. Yay!

I'm sure all of you are speculating in what's going on- I won't be saying a word. Everything will be...er...resolved in the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Please review- love, Hecateslover


	18. Chapter 18

Love In the Dark

Thanks again for the well wishes, guys. :3

* * *

Harry was concentrating on the white blonde hair in front of him, braiding it carefully. He was sitting underneath a large oak with Luna, and Millie sat next to them, drawing in her sketchbook. Hermione was sprawled out, her books all around her. Melina, the little first year Slytherin, was tagging along with him. The older girls weren't really teaching her how they ought to, in Harry's opinion, and took it upon himself to help her out.

It was spring, and despite the madness, there was still time for socializing. Harry was feeling a lot better than he did, especcially now that he was making sure to never be alone. He and Severus had ascertained that most of his memory gaps had occurred when he was alone at any time outside the dorms.

Thus, Harry socializing with the girls. "Now, using a spell to do makeup and hair is all well and good, but honestly, doing it by hand is even better. Perhaps the results turn out a bit differently, but it...adds a bit of something extra." Harry said, dropping the braid. "You're going to look gorgeous, Luna."

"Thank you Harry." Luna said dreamily, flipping a page in her latest issue of the Quibbler.

"Why do we even have to wear makeup anyways?" Hermione said, scrunching up her nose. "I think it's silly."

Harry chuckled, and the other girls giggled, following his example. "Not all girls can be as pretty as you, Hermione." Millie said shyly.

Hermione blushed, looking at Millie. Harry glanced over at his friend speculatively. Millie was staring hard at her sketchbook, and it looked like she was blushing as well. Huh.

"Well! So, who's up for sneaking down to the kitchens and..." Harry trailed off as he saw Dean approaching, Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey chasing after him. They all looked terribly frightened. Harry stood quickly.

"What's going on?"

"It's Malfoy." Dean said, taking a deep breath. He'd ran all the way there. "He's been petrified."

x-x-x

Everyone at the school was in shock. Up until now, the only people who'd been petrified had all been muggleborns, so for Draco, one of the more outspoken purebloods to be petrified...well, now it seemed everyone was open game.

Harry arrived to the hospital wing quickly, with his friends waiting just outside. Narcissa and Lucius stood there. Narcissa was at her son's side, looking distraught, while Lucius was clearly angry.

"Harry...you're alright?" Narcissa asked tearfully.

"Yeah." Harry approached the bed. Severus was standing not too far away, with the Headmaster, and the two of them were talking in a silencing bubble.

"How could this happen? My baby..." Narcissa sniffled.

Harry stared at Draco. The boy was frozen, even his face looked frozen in shock.

"Where was he?"

Severus spoke up- he and the Headmaster's conversation was finished.

"On the second floor corridor. Lucius, Narcissa, we're doing the best we can to find this Beast-"

"It's not good enough!" Lucius roared. "Whoever did this will pay!"

Harry frowned, studying Lucius carefully. Yes, Lucius was angry, but...something felt off. Why did he see regret in the man's eyes?

"The Mandrake restorative potion will be finished within the month- everything will be quite alright..." The Headmaster said, attempting to calm the man down.

"I will see you sent to Azkaban for this, Dumbledore, mark my words!" Lucius growled. "Narcissa, come." He said shortly, and the woman looked down at her son.

"But...we can't just leave Draco here..."

"Narcissa, _come_." His voice turned harder at this last word.

Narcissa sniffled, and looked to her son, and then Harry. She went to Harry, and hugged him tightly. As she did so, she whispered against his hair. "Find what did this Harry, and kill it."

He only gave her a nod, and she left.

x-x-x

True to his word, Lucius staged an attack in the press about the whole incident. The man was calling for Dumbledore's resignation, and even the Ministry was up in arms about it. The staff were combing the school in shifts, constantly searching for the entrance to the Chamber over the following month. The students were terribly frightened, and were supposed to be escorted by prefects to and from their classes, and were not allowed to be anywhere alone.

Harry, of course, had his own worries. He and Severus spent more and more time trying to figure out this mess, trying to figure out who was causing this, and how to stop them. Usually Severus escorted him to and from things, when the students weren't supposed to be out and about.

Harry was sitting in Severus' classroom, waiting for the man to return from a staff meeting. He was doing his homework, but he was feeling rather distracted. Since Draco had left, he realized he kind of missed the bugger. Sure, he'd been bloody annoying, but...he wasn't really all that bad. Despite all the research that he and Severus had done, they still hadn't figured out exactly what the Beast could be. The most obvious was a Basilisk, but that notion was so ridiculous that they struck that out straight away. After all, they would have seen it by now- it had to be huge!

He was fiddling with his quill when there was a knock at the door. Harry frowned, turning in his seat, and the door opened. It was Lockhart.

"Ah, Harry my boy, in detention are we?"

"Uh...no..." Harry said feebly. Ick, he did not want to be around Lockhart right now.

"Oh, well, you really shouldn't be alone. It's dangerous in these corridors, you know. I'll take you to the Slytherin dormitories."

Harry packed up his things, albeit a bit hesitantly. Lockhart just watched him from the door. Harry's mind raced. Why wasn't Lockhart at the staff meeting?

"Why aren't you at the staff meeting?" He asked, following the man out of the classroom.

"Oh, they allowed me to leave early. Are you alright? You look a bit cold."

Harry frowned as the man took off his cloak, wrapping it around Harry's shoulders. It smelled horribly sweet, like sweets that had gone bad. Harry made to say something to him, but as he turned, he dropped to the floor in a dead faint.

Lockhart hummed as he drew out the portkey from his trouser pocket, and the two of them disappeared from the corridor.

x-x-x

Harry awoke slowly, with a splitting headache. He was lying in a soft bed, and it smelled... he sat up abruptly, eyes narrowing as he took in the room around him, and the situation. The room was done up in silks and organza, all in shades of lavenders. He was lying in a huge overstuffed bed, and...and he was naked. Harry's heart pounded in his chest. He was alone in the room, and he felt...sore. Sore in a way that he hadn't felt in quite some time.

His eyes widened. He grabbed his glasses quickly, and put them on. He quietly got dressed, wincing with pain, his mind quickly putting everything together.

The memory gaps. The tiredness. The sore muscles. Strange, he would have known in an instant if he'd been fucked by someone. But...wait, no, the man had healed him- that was what the disappearing bruises were for. He must have not done a very good job, if not all of the aches had faded. He must have been raped while he was unconscious!

Harry quickly pulled his hair back, straightening his clothes. He was just putting his shoes on when the bedroom door opened, making him freeze. Lockhart stood there, his pleased smile fading completely.

Harry's eyes narrowed. Before he knew it, he was lunging forward, shoving his first into the man's nose, making him fly back, blood dripping from his nose. He landed loudly with a big crash into his office, knocking over all those stupid autographed photographs. Harry saw him getting up, clutching his nose. Harry ran past him, running out into the corridor, running straight into Professor McGonagall.

The woman looked just as shocked as he did to see him. "Mr. Potter! Where have you been? Severus alerted us that you weren't in the dorms last night- a girl has been taken into the chamber, and-"

"I was...what? A girl was taken into the chamber?"

The woman's lips thinned. "Yes. Ginny Weasley. We've finally tracked down the entrance, Severus and the others are working on getting it open, but- WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

Harry ran into the corridor, pushing past her, getting his wand out. "Point Me Severus!" He yelled, and his wand led him around the corner, and then down another corridor. He followed it down to the lavatories on the second floor, where he could hear spells being cast, and big crashes.

He nearly screamed as Lockhart came out of nowhere, grabbing his arm tightly. How in the hell had he gotten there so quickly?

"Gilderoy, what are you doing? Ah! You found Harry!" Flitwick said cheerfully, upon seeing them.

Lockhart's grip tightened on Harry's arm, warning him not to say a word. "Yes, yes, I found the poor thing, wandering in the dungeons, muttering to himself. I believe the lad is somehow involved."

"What?" Harry said weakly.

Before he knew it, Harry was pushed into the loo, where the Headmaster, Severus, Sprout, and Vector were all blasting spells at the sinks. Moaning Myrtle was throwing a fit above them. What a strange sight. He had to be dreaming. He had to be. He hadn't really been raped by Lockhart. Ginny really wasn't in the Chamber. No one was about to die.

The staff looked over at him, frowning.

"Harry?" The Headmaster spoke, levitating a bit of rubble out of the way. Harry could see a tunnel now. Huh.

Lockhart spoke up. "Found the lad. Think he's involved. Show them Harry, show them how you opened the Chamber!"

"What? But..." Harry was shoved forward slightly, and into the tunnel. He took Lockhart with him. If he was going to die, he wasn't going to do it alone.

They both landed hard on a pile of bones. Harry knew he had more bruises and scrapes to add to his collection, thanks to this prat. He groaned, rolling over onto his back, eyes widening as he saw Lockhart with his wand on him.

Harry reacted. He kicked out the man's feet from under him, and drew his dagger.

The man gurgled, blood filling his mouth as Harry stabbed his stomach. His eyes met Harry's, and Harry could see his madness and lust. It terrified him.

"You were so beautiful, Harry, so beautiful, so precious, so much prettier than all the others... I just had to have you..." He clutched at the front of Harry's robes, and the man collapsed forward on him. "You looked so sweet, and you tasted just as good..."

Harry looked up, seeing the other staff members levitating themselves down the tunnel. Severus was first, and he looked so angry. He could see them.

"Get away from me!" Harry shrieked, shoving him away.

Severus landed next to them, frowning. "Harry...what's going on..."

"Later." Harry said tersely, drawing his wand. "We have to save Ginny. Fuck'em."

"Mr. Potter!" Flitwick cried, seeing the man's injured state.

Harry cleaned his dagger on his robe, moving mechanically.

Lockhart groaned pitifully. Harry glared at him, and flicked his wand, tying him up. "Shut the fuck up, you pedo!"

"...Is that true?" The Headmaster asked, now arriving to the rapidly filling up space. He flicked his wand at Lockhart, staunching his wound.

"Yes. Now, can we get on with it?" Harry almost whined at this, and went on ahead.

"Mr. Potter! It's dangerous, you can't go-"

"Ginny's my friend! I have to help her!" Harry yelled back at the Headmaster, and went on anyways.

Vector stayed behind with Lockhart, while the rest ran after Harry.

x-x-x

Much later on that evening, Harry had finally gotten his shower. He was using the hospital wing's shower, cleaning himself of the dirt, blood, and muck from his body. Ginny was okay, but it was a close call. The Dark artifact that had been leaching her life had been destroyed and confiscated, to be studied by Dumbledore. The Basilisk was dead. It had been huge, over sixty feet. Once they had realized they were dealing with a Basilisk, Dumbledore had Fawkes damage the snake's eyes. Still, it was quite the team effort killing it. Dumbledore and Flitwick had been fierce, the thing hadn't stood chance. Sprout took Ginny's unconscious form and took her out of the Chamber, while Harry and Snape had destroyed the diary.

They had been on to something- Tom Riddle had been involved. Afterwards, when the Headmaster heard that name, he paled, and confessed that Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort- it was an anagram of his full name.

Now, Harry was in the hospital wing, taking a shower, waiting to hear about Ginny's condition. Lockhart was confined in Dumbledore's office, and would be questioned about his...extracurricular activities.

Harry was dreading the moment when everyone found out exactly what Lockhart had done. What was worse, Harry didn't remember. He didn't know whether it would be better to not know, or not remember.

He got out of the shower, and with a flick of his wrist, his hair was dry and brushed, and getting dressed. He really just wanted to crawl into bed, but he knew there were things that needed to be done. He left the loo, and smiled as he saw a sleeping Ginny, with the rest of her family surrounding her. At least she was alright.

x-x-x

The following morning, Harry was summoned to the Headmaster's office. Severus escorted him there, neither of them speaking to one another. Still, Harry could feel the man's worry radiate off of him, his magic was very energetic today. Harry slipped his hand into Severus' just before they reached the Headmaster's office. Harry looked up into the man's eyes, and gave him a small smile.

"Everything will be okay. Maybe not right away...but eventually." He said quietly, sounding braver than he felt.

Severus squeezed his hand, and they made their way up the stairs.

The Heads of Houses were already there, as was Lucius and Narcissa. Everyone looked deeply troubled, and there was a large pensieve on the Headmaster's desk.

Narcissa looked as though she was about to cry. Lucius looked...well, Harry wasn't sure how he looked.

Lockhart was nowhere to be found. There were, however, two imposing looking men dressed in bright red auror's robes.

Dumbledore must have realized who he was looking for. "Gilderoy Lockhart was questioned late into the night. He was arrested and is now on his way to Azkaban prison."

"I see." Harry said quietly.

"If you had stabbed him two inches higher, he would have died instantly." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes strangely serious and somber.

"I was in a hurry." Harry said flatly. He didn't care how it looked. That man wasn't going to get away with it. "Did he hurt any of the other kids?"

Sprout burst into tears at this, and Dumbledore shook his head. "No. Harry...please sit down. Tell us what you know."

Harry remained standing, for a moment, hugging himself. He bowed his head. "I don't know much."

He sat down, putting his hands in his lap, still looking down. "I spent the entire term...wondering why there were gaps in my memory. Wondering what was wrong with me."

"Why didn't you go to the hospital wing? Or talk to one of us?" The Headmaster asked.

"I...well, I thought that all of you were busy enough as it was, what with the Chamber of Secrets and all." Harry wasn't about to tell him that he thought He was the Heir or something.

"What do you remember?" The Headmaster asked.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing. Just the gaps in my memory. I think he healed me up, afterwards, before he obliviated me, so there wouldn't be any damage. But...um, I was still tired and things. I thought it was just stress."

"Well, you will need to have a thorough check up in the hospital wing. And you will need to submit whatever memories you can provide for our investigation, including your memories from this morning."

Harry nodded, and went to the pensieve. He knew how to use one, of course, from his time reviewing things with Severus, but he couldn't let the others know that. "How do I use it?"

Dumbledore walked him through it, and Harry took out the memories.

"Do you want to know what happened? What he did?" Dumbledore asked cautiously.

Harry's face grew stoney. "I don't know. I think I'd like to go to the hospital wing now."

Everyone stood, and Dumbledore shook his hand. "Thank you Harry, for assisting us with the Basilisk and Tom Riddle's spirit. You did not have to, but you did. So, thank you." Harry shook the man's hand, noting how Lucius had flinched, and Narcissa paled. They knew something.

The group made their way to the hospital wing, even the Aurors. Apparently, Harry's check up would be part of the evidence as well. Harry was a bit worried. He knew she would check for intercourse, things like that, and he was familiar with those spells because Severus had cast them when he first looked Harry over the previous year.

He worried, and hoped, that none of them would find out...the other things.

The Weasleys were gone from Ginny's bedside, except for her parents, as it was rather late. The two of them looked rather worriedly over at the Aurors, but said nothing. Madam Pomfrey came out of her office, and spoke quietly to the Headmaster in a silencing bubble, and the Aurors joined them.

Narcissa was pale, and looked quite distraught. She looked as though she would cry any moment. Lucius, however, kept looking over at the Weasleys, staring at the young girl that laid on the bed. He looked...conflicted.

The Heads of Houses conversed quietly with each other, except for Severus, who stood by Harry's side.

Neither of them said a word- they would talk later.

Madam Pomfrey led Harry over to a bed, and drew the curtains around it, seperating them from the rest of the ward. She gave him a small, worried smile. "Harry, would you like for me to grab anyone else to be here with us during the check up?"

"...Could Professor Snape be here?" Harry asked quietly.

The woman nodded, and ducked out of the curtains for a moment. She waved the man over, and he entered. He stood at the end of the bed, while Harry was instructed to undress and put on one of the hospital gowns. Madam Pomfrey drew out her wand, and some paper appear out of nowhere, a quill hovering over it.

"Alright dear, lie down and try to relax. This will all be over soon. It might tickle a bit, okay?"

Harry nodded, and did as she said. He just wanted this over with. He turned his head, looking towards Severus. The man looked so...sad.

She began casting her spells and such, the quill recording the results. As she finished, she let out a deep sigh, her face unreadable.

"Thank you Harry. Won't don't you get under the covers, dear. Severus, could you get him a dreamless sleep? Thank you." And then she left the curtained area.

Severus rummaged through his various pockets and withdrew a vial, making Harry crack a smile. "Always carry around a dreamless sleep with you?"

Severus pulled the blankets over him, the smallest of smiles upon his lips. "I have to be prepared, you know, for a homesick first year."

Harry drank the potion gratefully, and the man brushed his bangs back. Just as Harry closed his eyes, the man murmured quietly. "I'm sorry, Harry."

x-x-x

He woke to soft murmurs, and the sunlight in his face. He grimaced, rolling over. He cracked one of his eyes open. People were speaking just outside the curtains.

"Severus, this boy has been severely abused. With this amount, it had to have been going on for years and years, not just this year. Tell me what is going on. Right now." Pomfrey's voice was hard and resolute.

"Poppy..."

"I know you're his Head of House, and you have your confidentiality oaths, but I have my own. I must know."

"Inside." The man muttered, and the two of them entered the curtained area. They both froze upon seeing that Harry was awake. Harry sat up slowly, putting his glasses on.

"So...you want to know?" Harry asked quietly. He shifted his legs under the blankets, so that he sat indian-style.

The Healer gave him a curt nod, clutching her clipboard tightly.

"Well, with the amount of gaps I have in my memory from this year, I suspect Lockhart raped me at least twelve, thirteen times. From what you detected, I'm sure you saw that I have been...well, that I have been taken many more times than that."

"Yes." The woman said quietly.

"Please report the approximate twelve to thirteen times. That will be the Auror's conclusions as well, with the evidence I gave them. I don't...want everyone else knowing what happened to me before I came to Hogwarts."

"You were abused." The woman said, her voice trembling.

Harry gave a slight nod, looking away. "Yes. But..." He looked to Severus, and the man gave him the slightest of nods. If Severus trusted her, he must have had a good reason to. He would have to ask later.

"I slept with men. For money. To support myself, growing up." Harry said, still keeping his voice quiet. "I lived on the street. I told myself after I found out about my place here in the wizarding world...never again." He gave them a pained smile. "At least...I don't remember what he did to me."

Madam Pomfrey took a deep breath, and exhaled. "I see." She glanced to the man at her side. "I do hope you've been checked for muggle diseases?"

Severus nodded curtly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "I will do my own tests, of course, to make sure everything is just as it should be." She paused. "I must ask, but have you had any physical relationships since coming to the wizarding world? Besides this...mess?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Yes. But it's over. And we only...fooled around. We didn't fu-go all the way."

"...I see." The woman looked disapproving. "While I would normally say you're far too young for such a thing, I will leave that to your Head of House, and hope that you will act responsibly in the future." And with that, she left.

Harry and Severus exchanged a look, and Severus approached him, taking his hand. "Are you alright?"

Harry gave him a sad smile. "Not really. Is Lockhart really in Azkaban?"

Severus gave him a dark look. "There was an 'accident' on the boat ride over to the island. The Aurors had to use force, and he was killed."

Harry's sad smile turned into a slight smirk. "I see."

Severus hugged him carefully, noting how the boy reacted to him. "I'm just glad you're alright, and that this mess is over."

"...Hmm. I think Lucius was somehow involved with this Chamber of Secrets mess."

Severus' eyes narrowed. "Why do you say that?"

"Just...his reactions to things."

"You have to have more evidence than that."

They were quiet for a moment, thinking things over. Severus spoke first. "The Mandrake draught will be ready by this evening. All of the petrified students will be awake."

"Too bad Draco can't stay asleep." Harry joked, and grinned as Severus gave him a Look.

Yeah...Harry would be alright. Eventually.

x-x-x

Blahghshsh (Insert Klingon here)! Explosion of writing today, apparently. Oh, I've been writing these chapters as I'm posting them. Go me. Inspired by your awesome reviews. Go you. I spent almost all day writing today. The short amount of time I was not writing was watching HP5 for inspiration. I know many of you guessed the Lockhart thing...I really wanted Harry to kill him, but...with the staff members right there, I didn't want them um...being_ too_ suspicious of Harry in the future, if you know what I mean. Anyways, thanks for reading, and please review!


	19. Chapter 19

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry stared at the pensieve before him. It had been four days since the whole mess with Lockhart and the Basilisk, and naturally, everyone knew about Harry's involvement in the Chamber. Thankfully, no one was aware of why Lockhart was arrested- many just assumed that he was the one that set the Basilisk on everyone.

Once he'd left the hospital wing, Harry began to worry and have nightmares of what Lockhart had done to him while he'd been unconcious. Now, Harry was in the Headmaster's office, standing before this pensieve. Only Severus and the Headmaster were there, for support. He didn't want anyone else there. Not yet. It was bad enough that the Aurors had seen, as well as the Heads of Houses. Thankfully, Lockhart had only gone after him, no one else.

Harry had to know. He was sure what he was imagining was much worse than what actually happened. He couldn't go on like this- he would always wonder.

He took a deep breath, and looked into the penseive, losing himself in the memories. A couple of hours later, he withdrew from the pensieve, and sank into one of the Headmaster's plushy chairs. The Headmaster and Severus looked at Harry worriedly.

Fawkes dropped into Harry's lap, crooning at him softly. Harry was pale, and feeling...so...disgusted. Lost. Angry. Sad. He felt so many things. It was too much. He pet the phoenix in his lap, trying to calm himself down.

"Harry?" The Headmaster asked.

Harry gave him a small, sad smile. "Sir. I'll be alright. I should probably get to class. Even though exams were cancelled, I don't think Flitwick will appreciate me missing his class." He said, standing. He took baby Fawkes over to his stand, trying to keep calm.

"Harry, perhaps it is a good idea that you don't go to Malfoy Manor this summer." The Headmaster ventured. "We would be happy to have you here at the school."

Harry blinked, and glanced towards Severus, who did not react one way or the other. "I will think about it."

He and Severus left the Headmaster's office, walking down the corridors in silence. Severus made no move to touch him, and Harry was thankful for this. He wasn't sure if he wanted anyone to touch him ever again. Not after what he'd seen.

"I can write a pass for you." The man said, as they neared Flitwick's office.

Harry shook his head, fiddling with the strap on his bookbag. "No sir. You wouldn't want to be accused of favoritism now, do you?" Harry joked, trying to lighten things up.

"Harry..." Severus reached for his arm, and Harry flinched, taking a step back. Harry looked down, swallowing thickly.

"I'm sorry." Harry whispered. "Could we talk later? I...I should get going."

"...Yes. Of course. My door is always open to you."

"Thank you." Harry murmured, and entered the charms classroom.

Severus stared at the door, fists clenching in anger. He was angry at Lockhart, yes, but he was angry with himself, most of all. It was his job to protect Harry. And he had failed him. Again.

x-x-x

Harry sat on the rocky shore of the Black lake, staring at the glittering waters. It was a beautiful day, and everyone was to go home the following day. It was quiet out here, and it was what he needed for the moment. He felt...sad. Angry. Alone. Disgusted. He felt as though he never wanted to touch another person ever again.

Even his friends had noticed. Normally, Harry was a very tactile person, always hugging the girls and playing with their hair and such. He was always tugging on Dean's arm, or goofing off with the twins...but they had noticed him become quiet, more reserved. Even earlier in the year, when he'd been stressed, he had always made an effort to hang out with his friends once in a while.

He felt different. As though everything had changed. He felt as though something had been taken from him, something precious. Seeing himself with Lockhart like that made him realize that a relationship was supposed to mean something, and doing something with your loved one was supposed to be special. Not something you just did to manipulate others, or get what you wanted. Not something that was to be taken without consent.

He felt disgusted with himself, for doing the things he had done. He didn't regret it- he had valid reasons to do what he did before coming to Hogwarts. He had to survive, to support himself. To help others.

And now...now he felt empty and hollow, as though everything he now did was meaningless. Everything he was was meaningless.

He felt lost, with no direction, unsure of what to do next. He had plans upon plans for the future, but now...they all seemed so petty and meaningless. Could he really try to make something of himself without resorting to using others? Without resorting to manipulation?

And he didn't know what to do about Severus. He clearly cared about the man, and Severus had to feel something for him...but would it go anywhere? Would it get to the point where Severus would want him physically, and Harry couldn't? What would he do? He had Claimed Harry, it was his right to do as he pleased. Right?

They hadn't talked about any of that yet- Harry knew that he needed time to think things over. He just hoped Severus would understand.

He heard the crunch of footsteps behind him. Harry turned slightly, his dark hair whipping in front of his face. He tucked it back, seeing Dean. Dean gave him a small smile, and sat next to him on the rocks.

They sat next to each other quietly, staring at the lake.

Dean spoke first. "You going to Malfoy Manor this summer?"

"...Yes. For a bit. You get your invitation?"

"Yeah. But I'm not going." Dean murmured. "Harry...I don't belong there."

Harry turned to his friend. "But you have to come...please don't leave me..."

Dean's eyes softened. "Harry, you know I'll never leave you. I'm staying with the Weasleys again- they're fun, and I like it there. I'm going to continue my training...I'm going to enter the competition again. Show those pureblood prats who's boss."

Harry smiled slightly at this. "I'm sure you'll do great."

"...Yeah. You're welcome to come to the Burrow too, you know."

"I know. Mrs. Weasley invited me. She sent me a box of sweets too. For saving Ginny."

Dean sighed. "What a year, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Look...whatever is bothering you lately...you know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah." Harry murmured. "I think...things are different now."

"Facing a Basilisk would probably do that to a person."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not talking about that." Harry paused. "I know why Lockhart was really shipped off to Azkaban."

Dean didn't look surprised. "Yeah?"

"He's pretty handy with the Obliviate spell. He was doing that to me all year. Three guesses why."

"...Oh Harry..." Dean said, sounding sad.

"...It's okay. I'm okay." Harry bowed his head, curling his legs underneath him. "Well...I will be."

"Fuck, why does that shit always happen to you?"

Harry gave him a sad smile. "Better me than everyone else, right?"

Dean shook his head. "I can't leave you like this. Come with me to the Burrow."

Harry shook his head quickly. "No...I can't, Dean. Too many people...too crowded. Molly's lovely, but...I cant. I couldn't stay there. I'd love to visit, but...to stay? I can't. Not right now."

Dean ran a hand through his hair. He'd been growing it out over the year- his dreadlocks were coming out pretty good. He changed the subject.

"You know what electives you're going to sign up for?"

Harry made a face. "No clue. You?"

"I don't know either."

Both boys were quiet for a moment. "I reckon Care of Magical Creatures will be fun." Dean ventured. "And I hear Divination is easy."

Harry scrunched up his nose at this. "Divination? Uh, no. Trelawny is a bit weird."

"Well...there's muggle studies." Both boys laughed at this, and Harry actually felt it this time.

x-x-x

Harry was unpacking in his room, feeling unsettled for some reason. Lucius hadn't been there to greet him when he'd come off the train. And Narcissa was acting...strangely. Draco, who'd been taken home early, just after everyone had been healed up with the mandrake restorative drought, was already being his prattish self.

Why had he missed the brat again?

He already wanted to be back at Hogwarts. Maybe he should have taken up the Headmaster's offer. Maybe he could floo to Severus' office, and just stay there all summer.

There was a soft knock on his bedroom door. "Come in." Harry called out, stacking out a stack of school shirts from his trunk, putting them on his bed.

Narcissa entered the room. "I...just wanted to let you know that Lucius is abroad. On a business trip."

Harry gave her a Look. "What's really going on?"

Narcissa looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "The Dark Artifact that had possessed Miss Weasley had once been ours."

Harry frowned at this, and the woman continued. "Lucius...he didn't know what it would do. He was just trying to get petty revenge on Arthur Weasley, for conducting so many raids on our friends."

"So...he gave a dangerous dark artifact to an eleven year old girl. That was low, even for him. People could have been killed." Harry said flatly.

"I know. And he does as well. I think it really shook him up. He's...spending some time away, to sort out his priorities. Draco will be continuing his training over at Zabini Manor. Blaise has a tutor there. You...you're welcome to join them, of course."

Harry shook his head. "No...No, I think I'd like some time alone this summer." He put his shirts away, and Narcissa watched him.

"You really should have an elf do that. It's a waste of valuable time."

"And what else would I be doing? Studying? Research? Training? No...I think I'll stick to putting my clothes away. At least something I do today will have meaning."

Narcissa frowned. "What do you mean?"

Harry gave her a Look. "Things are different. After what happened to me...I just...can't."

Narcissa gave him a Look. "You can't what?"

"I can't just...flirt with people for my own gains anymore. I can't just...use them. It makes me feel as though I am bad as Lockhart." He hissed the man's name out.

"Darling, you're not anything like him-"

"I can't do it anymore. I can't." Harry whispered, shoving his shirt into the closet. She reached for him, and he flinched away at the contact, jumping back. "Don't touch me!"

Narcissa looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You have no idea what I've been through! I'm not going to do this anymore- I have to make things right, do the right thing. If I'm going to have people at my side, it's because they want to be, not because I manipulated them there!"

Narcissa sat at his dressing table, looking thoughtful. "Have you talked to Severus yet?"

"No." Harry said gruffly, shoving another shirt in the closet.

"I think you should." She said simply.

"I...I can't. He expects so much of me...what if I can't give him what he wants?" So many people expected things of him.

"Talk to him."

x-x-x

Harry arrived in the floo that very evening, looking around Severus' office. "Professor?"

Severus' head popped out from his lab. "Harry? What's going on?"

Harry gave him a small smile. "Can we talk?"

Severus nodded. "Let me just finish something in the lab really quick." Harry followed him into the lab, watching him brew.

"I didn't think you would be back so soon." Severus said, stirring his potion.

"...I wanted to talk. Lucius is on a trip. I don't think he will be around much this summer."

"Why?" Severus said, frowning. "I would think he would want to be there to train you and Draco."

Harry shook his head. "Draco is training under a tutor over with the Zabinis this summer. No, um...Narcissa told me that Lucius was involved with the diary."

Severus gave him a sharp look. "I see."

"If I do see him anytime soon, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." Harry muttered, frowning. "Anyways... I just wanted to talk. Spend time with you."

Severus nodded slightly, and lowered the flames on his potion. "What did you want to talk about?"

"My training." The man nearly dropped his stirring rod at these words.

"...Harry, I don't think you're ready, after what happened."

"I know that." Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm...just asking if you still want to. Train me, that is. And if I should."

"I see." Severus said, looking thoughtful. "Look...I think you should think about your future. What do you want to do? Where do you see yourself?"

Harry was confused. "What do you mean? I have to kill the Dark Lord."

"I mean...other than that." Severus said softly, shaking his head. He separated the draft into vials with practiced ease. "What do you want to do once you've left Hogwarts?"

Harry frowned. "I...I'm not sure, actually." He gave the man an odd look. "I thought you would..."

"What?"

"Well...you Claimed me. I'm supposed to be some sort of Pet, right?"

Severus gave him a Hard look. "I don't know what sort of nonsense the Malfoys are filling your head with, but that's not exactly what I was looking for when I Claimed you."

"...I don't understand."

Severus set the empty cauldron aside, corking the vials, and began to affix labels on them. "I want you to be a productive member of society. I want you to work, have friends, and do what every other wizard does. My Claiming you gives you protection, and nothing more, at this point."

"...nothing more?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow.

Their eyes met, and Severus' eyes softened. "At this point. Harry, I would never, ever ask you to do something you wouldn't want to do. At least, in that way."

Harry swallowed thickly. He wanted to believe Severus, he really did. He trusted the man more than anyone else, but he was still frightened of the power the man had over him.

"...at one point...I really liked some of the things that they had talked about in the books." Harry ventured shyly. He walked a bit closer to the professor. Severus' eyes fell as he grabbed a quill, and he began to label the vials.

"Like what?" Severus murmured.

Harry sighed. "Things. At this point, though, I'm not sure if I could even think about sex. Considering I'm nearly thirteen, it's a bit odd, don't you think?"

Severus gave him a worried look. Harry shook his head when he saw it. "Severus, it was far from the first time that I've been raped. It was...the manner that was done bothers me the most. All the training that I've recieved since coming to the wizarding world still didn't keep me safe from him."

"That man...was despicable." Severus growled. "If you had been coherent at all, I'm sure you would have killed him instantly."

"But I wasn't. How?"

Severus frowned, his quill ripping the label as he jabbed a bit too hard at it. "A potion. It was keyed to you. Applying the scent to a certain area, or item, would be easy enough, and undetectable to anyone else. It caused you to fall unconscious anytime you smelt it."

"...keyed to me? How?"

"There are a number of ways he could have done it. The Aurors found the potion in his quarters, after he was sent away."

"Oh."

"It wasn't your fault. But I can assure you, something like that will never happen again." Severus said, looking rather pained. Harry then realized something.

"You...you feel guilty, don't you?"

The man didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Harry moved a bit closer to him, raising his hand, hovering over Severus' arm. Harry set it down slowly, and their eyes met.

"Severus...please don't feel that way. You were helping me as much as you could- don't feel guilty."

Severus shook his head. "I should have seen, I should have known-"

Harry moved a bit closer, pushing the vial away from his hand. He raised his hand to rest on Severus' cheek. "Severus...you did the best you could. All we can do now is take preventative measures to keep anything like that happening again. Some sort of...alarm, to let me know that I've been obliviated."

"Mind magic is complex. You know that, from our research."

"But you can help me, right?"

Severus gave him the slightest of nods.

Harry's eyes brightened, and he smiled. "Thank you."

They stood there like that for a long moment. "Let's go out to lunch. In the muggle world. I haven't been in ages, and I want to see you in muggle clothes again." Harry said with a relish.

Severus sighed. "Oh...alright."

x-x-x

When Harry saw Lucius in the library, it looked as though the man was just stopping by. He was still wearing his traveling cloak, and he had soot still on him from the floo. His eyes widened as he saw Harry- rightly so, as Harry stalked towards him, clearly pissed off.

The man barely had time to draw his wand before Harry flicked his wrist, and it was thrown across the room.

"I still can't fucking believe you!" Harry snarled. Unbeknownst to him, the old tomes in the shelves around them trembled and shook, and the windows creaked. His hair blew about his face wildly, and his robes billowed in an unseen wind.

Harry held out his hand, and Lucius zoomed into Harry's outstretched grip. The man looked terrified, but defeated.

"Why would you do such a thing? You could have killed all those students! You could have left the English wizarding community decimated, an entire generation of witches and wizards completely wiped out-"

Harry backhanded him, making Lucius' neck twinge painfully at the force. The smack was loud and ringing in the cavernous library.

"I should kill you for what you did." He breathed, his voice deadly.

Lucius finally spoke, his voice low and breathy. "I am sorry. I did not know what would happen. I swear it. I would give everything to take back what I did. I allowed...vengence to cloud my judgement. Forgive me..." Lucius croaked. Harry's eyes were blazing and hard.

"Actions speak louder than words. Open a vault for Ginny Weasley, an anonymous one, with enough money to cover her tuition at Hogwarts, but only with the stipulation that she does well in her classes. Then anonymously donate money to the school, enough to cover the costs of the damages that you caused, and the stress that you put the students and staff under." Harry said, his voice flat. He dropped the man to the ground. Lucius stared up at him, clutching his neck.

"Yes. I will." He breathed, looking nervous and scared. Harry hated that look, the way that man looked at him. Harry continued to stare at him, and Lucius dropped his eyes. "I will." He repeated, his head bowed. Harry took a step back just as Lucius knelt a bit further down, almost at his feet.

His anger fled him, and he whipped around, stalking out of the library. His hands trembled, thinking of what had just happened. He'd done wandless magic before, but this...this was something else. He was terrified. The way that Lucius had looked at him...

He went straight to the floo, hands still shaking as he flooed to Severus' office. The man was there, and looked to be packing a few things.

"Harry? What's wrong?"

Harry was pale and shaking. He moved quickly, hugging Severus tightly around the middle, burying his face in the man's shoulder.

"Lucius." He cried. "I nearly killed him."

"...Is he alright?"

"I...I think I just...really, really scared him. You...you should have seen the way he looked at me. Severus...am I bad person?"

Severus sighed, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "No."

Harry then noticed the bag on the man's desk. "...Going somewhere?"

"Just home. For a bit."

"...Home?"

Severus gave him a thin smile. "I'm not there very often. It isn't much. But I have to do a few things in the muggle world, so..."

"Your home is in the muggle world?" Harry asked curiously.

To be honest, Harry didn't know all that much about Severus.

"Yes. Now..." He guided Harry to a chair. "Tell me what happened with Lucius."

Harry told him what happened. Severus listened to it all, thinking things over.

"I suggest you spend some time away from the Malfoy Manor. You said you were invited to the Burrow. Perhaps it would be a good idea to stay a couple of days with them."

"...I...I don't know."

"Harry...you have to get used to being around people. You can't isolate yourself, especially when Hogwarts starts up again."

"You're one to talk." Harry muttered. "Anyways, I thought you hated the Weasleys."

"Not...all of them. And your friend Dean is there. I will write Molly, and let her know you'll be stopping by at the end of the week. You arrange things with Narcissa, do a bit of shopping...uh, preferably not alone, please. I think...what happened with Lucius will do him a world of good. You see, the man has very little to fear- it's good that he's scared. Perhaps he will think, next time. It sounds like he will."

"He was so scared of me, Sev. And...and it looked as though he was bowing...God, what am I, the next Dark Lord?"

Severus studied him quietly. "While you do have the capabilities...I don't think you could be. You have a good heart, and you mean well, Harry. Not that Dark wizards can't feel love and affection. But for you to become something like the Dark Lord? Never."

He straightened the collar of the boy's robe absently. "You have the respect and admiration of your friends, and you lead them well. You know power, but you respect it, and have a healthy amount of fear for it. That is good. Too much power, and it would give you a big head. Too much power makes men do foolish things, especially if they don't fear it."

He leant in, kissing Harry's brow. Harry's eyes closed at this. He could feel the man's magic just hovering around him, like a cocoon, keeping him safe.

"Sev'rus..." He murmured, tilting his face up. Severus held his chin in place, and stared into his eyes. They were inches away from each other, and Harry felt... different. It wasn't lust, or affection, like he used to feel around him. But...something else. He couldn't quite place it.

"Remember what I say, Harry."

"Yes sir."

x-x-x

Harry was sitting in the Weasley's back garden, watching the boys fly above them. Ginny sat next to him. She still looked a bit pale and withdrawn, and she looked terribly thin. Harry just wanted to mother her and make sure she would be alright again. Harry had a book in his lap, but he wasn't reading it. He was watching Ginny. The girl was watching her brothers, looking a bit put out.

"I suppose your Mother doesn't allow you to fly?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded.

"Guess that's the same all across the board. Most pureblood girls aren't allowed to fly, for some strange reason. I suppose it's...rather unusual. Do you get a bit of flying in on the sly?"

Ginny glanced over at him, and Harry grinned. "I figured. With big brothers like the twins, I knew you had to have a bit of sneakiness about you, especcially considering that it seemed to skip over Ron."

Ginny giggled at this, and Harry scooted over a bit closer. "How are you doing?"

Ginny gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. "Alright." She said quietly. "Physically, anyways."

"Can...can I ask what happened exactly? You don't have to tell me, but...talking does help, you know."

Ginny sighed, fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. It was fraying a bit, and Harry hoped that Lucius would include enough in the vault to at least get the girl some new clothes.

"Well...the diary, it wrote back. It...was kind of fun, really, like...a friend. But...things started to happen. I started having black outs, and...well, I couldn't remember where I was, or what I'd done..."

Harry stared at her. "...I understand."

Ginny bowed her head. "I was terrified. I wanted to tell someone, but I was scared."

Harry took her hand into his, and squeezed it. "It's okay. It's all over now." Ginny gave him a shy smile, cheeks blushing.

"Oy! Stop flirting with my sister!" Ron bellowed from up above.

Ginny snatched her hand away from Harry's, while the boys touched down to the ground. Ron looked angry. Harry sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Dean chuckled. "The chances of Harry flirting with a girl is extremely low, mate." The twins laughed at this, and Ron was visibly confused. Ginny frowned slightly at this, and Harry could see the exact moment when she understood. She frowned slightly, but said nothing.

Dean ruffled up Harry's bangs. "How's life at the Malfoy Manor? Miss me already babe?"

Harry stuck his tongue out at him. "No, I did not miss you. And the Manor is boring. No one is ever there."

"But you missed us, right Harry?" Fred and George spoke in unison, waggling their eyebrows.

Harry rolled his eyes, and stood. He extended his hand to Ginny. "Come on Gin, let's get away from these prats."

x-x-x

It wasn't actually all that bad, staying with the Weasleys. He stayed in Bill's old room, and the others gave him his space when he asked for it. Ginny was a sweet girl, and he tried his best to stay away from Ron. The twins were nuts, but Harry liked them. Dean was...well, Harry was glad that Dean was here. He and his best friend would stay up late into the night, talking. It was good.

On his fourth day there, a letter arrived for Ginny. It was clearly a letter from Gringott's, and everyone crowded around her to see what it was.

Ginny opened it and gasped, holding up a golden key. She read through it quickly.

"Mum...this says that a vault has been opened in my name! Apparently...because of what happened, I am to recieve my tuition paid in full, and...a small stipend for books and supplies! It's even going to cover my hospital costs... Mum..."

Molly took the letter from her daughter, looking at it further. "It seems as though an anonymous donator heard about what you had gone through, dear. It says the stipend will only be valid if you make good grades. Well...I suppose some good has come out of all this mess."

Ginny sniffled, and her brothers all gathered around her, hugging her tightly. Dean gave him a Look. Harry shook his head quickly, indicating it wasn't him. Mr. Weasley caught this, but said nothing.

x-x-x

Thank you everyone, for the awesome reviews. Keep it up!

So...pairings idea anyone? Does anyone have any idea who Dean should be paired with? He is straight, as a reminder. Also, which electives should Harry and the gang take?

Oh, for those of you who expressed your concern- I just heard about an hour ago that my Mom was let out of the hospital already. She'll have to take medication for the rest of her life, and go for a check up every six months, but...she'll be okay. Thank goodness. :)


	20. Chapter 20

Love In the Dark

* * *

Wow, I got some great feedback from all of your lovely reviews from the last chapter! Yay! Some of your questions will be answered in this chapter, and more. Hope that helps!

Remember to check out my profile for info on my fan art and all of my other work. If any of you are in the Rhode Island area, I will have a table at the Garden City Art Festival in June! :3

x-x-x

Narcissa stared out the window, looking over the grounds. She was alone in the Manor. Normally, she would relish having a little bit of time to herself, but this time it was different. Draco was over at Zabini Manor quite a bit, and who knew what he was up to. She wasn't worried about the boys, no, but about Lady Zabini herself. The woman was always a bit scandalous- hadn't she married again not too long ago?

Lucius was gone, off to Italy or France, or...well, did it really matter? They had had a terrible row. Lucius had nearly gotten their son, and many other children, killed because of petty vengeance. Narcissa was angry at her husband, angry that he could do such a thing.

They had never fought before, like this. She was sure that he regretted his actions, especially after...Harry. Narcissa had been there, in the library, but neither of them had seen her. Harry had looked terrifying, beautiful, dangerous, and so full of anger- but rightly so.

She really hoped that Lucius could sort things out. Right now, she was too angry at him to talk. With Draco gone, and Lucius away, she had hoped to spend some time with Harry for the holidays.

But so far, Harry hadn't been around. He was always either visiting Severus at the school, or visiting with the Weasleys. She didn't fault him for that- he didn't want to be around Lucius either.

She heard the floo flare, and she saw her son stride out, a heavy bag hefted over his shoulder. Their eyes met, and Narcissa gave her son a warm smile.

"How was training today, darling?"

Draco's gaze slid down. "It was fine. I'm...I'm going to go get cleaned up."

"I'll have the elves start preparing dinner. What would you like?"

Draco started for the door. "I'm not really hungry."

"Well...if you change your mind, let me know."

An owl arrived, and Narcissa smiled as she recognized Hedwig. Perhaps Harry was writing to let her know he was coming back.

The Weasleys were going to Egypt. Arthur had won an office pool, so the whole lot of them were going to go visit Bill and the Pyramids. Harry and Dean couldn't go- Dean had his competition coming up, and Harry didn't want to intrude on their family vacation. So Harry and Dean would be staying at the Manor for a while.

Narcissa reflected that Harry hadn't asked permission for Dean to stay- while she was aware that Harry did not consider her or Lucius anything like parents, the polite thing he should have done was ask permission. She replied, saying that that she would have their rooms prepared that evening.

They came that very evening, and not within the hour, her son was knocking at her bedroom door.

"Yes Draco?"

Her son was visibly angry. "Why is Potter and his muggleborn friend here?"

Narcissa frowned. "Harry wrote and said that they were staying for a while. Draco, Harry is your adopted brother, please don't call him Potter."

Draco scowled. "Then why is Thomas here? Why isn't he at the Weasley hovel?"

Narcissa's gaze hardened. "You know, I believe you're speaking rudely about our guest. Mr. Thomas is a friend of Harry's, which makes him a friend of the family's. Now, Dean is staying here because the Weasleys are going on a trip. Perhaps he can join you in your training with Blaise- he's going to be competing again this year."

Draco's eyes darkened with anger. He knew that it wasn't a request, that he would have to do it. With any luck, Thomas would turn the offer down. "I'll have to ask Blaise and his Mother."

Narcissa gave him a small nod. "Anything else you want to talk about?"

Draco shifted a bit. "Yeah. Where is Father, exactly?"

Narcissa looked away. "I believe he's in France." She said quietly. "Business, with the Ministry."

"Mother, he's usually never gone this long. What is going on?"

"...It's nothing. Draco, you go on to your room. You need your rest."

x-x-x

Harry was walking down Diagon Alley with Millie, and Luna, with Narcissa walking behind them. All of them carried shopping bags in their hands, except for Narcissa, who had Dobby, her elf, carrying hers.

Harry hadn't really interacted with the Malfoy elves before- apparently they had been instructed not to talk to him for some reason. He did note that they looked better taken care of, though, since he had began to stay at the Manor. Dobby was rather excitable, hyperactive, and the other girls loved him. Harry would have invited Ginny to come along, if she wasn't off to Egypt with her family. Still, it sounded like they were having a great time, from their letters.

Dean was training with Blaise and Draco, over at the Zabini Manor. It was his first day training with them. Malfoy had offered, hesitantly, after getting permission from the Zabinis. Dean was cautious, but decided to go just so he could bother the brat.

Meanwhile, Harry was having fun with the girls. He was slowly getting better about things, but he was still a bit nervous around older men. Severus was the only one he could stand touching, at this time.

"Let's get some ice cream." Narcissa said, a smile on her face.

"Oh yes! Please?" Millie exclaimed with a grin. The three students and Narcissa entered Florean's. It was rather full of kids already.

Susan and Hannah were there already, sharing a huge bowl of ice cream. The students greeted each other merrily, and sat down together after ordering their ice cream. Narcissa sat at the end of the table, reflecting that this bunch were much more lively and...happier than the girls she'd known as a child. Perhaps it was an affect of hanging around Harry. He tended to bring out the best in people.

She idly listened to their chatter and gossip, rather surprised when it eventually turned to dueling spells and the like. She had known that Harry had been teaching the girls how to duel magically, but she really had no idea that they were enjoying it enough to talk about it outside of school.

"Auntie was so pleased when I showed her some of the spells we learnt, Harry." Susan said brightly. "I really think we should continue it next year too."

"Of course. I think we need to round out the numbers a bit more...maybe include a few boys?" Harry said, and all the girls giggled.

"We've got enough boys." Millie scoffed. "They just make more trouble anyways. Who needs them?"

"...Well, I don't know, Dean's alright." Hannah said with a blush. Susan nudged her with a grin, and the girls giggled once more. The conversation quickly turned to attractive boys in their year, and Narcissa noted that it was rather one-sided. Millie, Luna, and Harry didn't really speak up much.

"Honestly, I think the boys our age are silly." Millie sniffed. "They're immature."

Harry hid a smile at this. "Really?"

Millie blushed, and looked contrite. "Oh, not you Harry, you're fantastic!"

The other girls giggled at this again, and Luna spoke up dreamily. "Harry, are there any girls you fancy?"

"Um..."

Hannah and Susan giggled at this, while Millie grinned.

"Well...I think all of you are rather pretty..."

"Well, all of us can't be girlfriends with you. Well...we could share, but I think that would be looked down upon." Luna said, looking thoughtful. The other girls looked scandalized, and Harry laughed loudly. Narcissa had to hide her smile at this- now she knew why Harry kept the Lovegood girl around. She had no shame, and she looked so innocent too!

"So, have any of you signed up for your electives yet?" Harry asked, changing the subject. Good move, Narcissa thought.

"Yes. Hannah and I have signed up for Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures."

"My Mum had me sign up for Ancient Runes and Arithmicancy." Millie made a face. "Honestly, I could do without the math, and I would rather go for COMC. Maybe I could convince Daddy to talk to her."

Luna sighed. "I wish I could be in that class. Kettleburn is a knowledgable fellow. The few times I sat in, I thought he did quite well. He even broached on the topic of Wackspurts briefly to the Seventh years."

"Wackspurts? What are those?" Millie asked, visibly confused.

Both Hannah and Susan rolled their eyes, used to hearing about Luna's make-believe creatures.

"There little sprites that nest in people's heads, and make them have fuzzy thoughts. Harry has quite a bit of them, actually."

Harry only chuckled at this, and shook his head. A man approached their table quickly, quill and paper in hand. "Mr. Potter! It_ is_ you! Do you think you could say a quick word for Witch Weekly?"

"Uh..."

The girls giggled at this, and Narcissa gave him a slight nod.

"Sure. And you are?"

"Roger Bubbling. Now, Mr. Potter, how do you feel about winning Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile award for the first time?"

Harry laughed. "I wasn't even aware of that until just now, Roger." He gave a cheeky grin at the man, making both Hannah and Susan blush. "I feel quite flattered, actually."

Narcissa hid a smile at this.

"And these are your friends here?" Harry nodded, and the reporter asked for their names, and a camera man came out of nowhere, taking a picture. The other customers in the ice cream parlor were staring now.

"Mr. Potter, is it true that you will be competing in this year's Junior Dueling Competition?"

"Ah, no. I will be only watching, just as I did last year. However, I will be cheering Dean Thomas and my brother on."

"The muggleborn, correct? The one that won the dagger competition last year?"

"That's right."

"Your favorite color?"

"...Green." Harry said uncertainly.

"The perfect date?"

Harry blushed, and all the girls around him giggled. Narcissa spoke up. "Mr. Bubbling, if you would like to arrange for a formal interview with my son, please do so in a letter. Girls, we should get going, we don't want to interrupt anyone else's visit to the ice cream shop."

The photographer snapped a few more shots as they left, and Harry found himself grinning. Millie whispered to him so that the others couldn't hear. "Imagine what Witch Weekly would say if they knew you were gay."

Harry swatted her arm playfully, and they hurried down the street.

x-x-x

Harry was spending the morning with Millie at Bulstrode Manor, and the two of them would go watch the Dueling competition Finals with her Father. The man was very excited that his daughter was interested in going, and excited that he would finally get to meet Harry.

Harry entered the Bulstrode's Foyer, wearing chocolate brown robes. He was dressed a bit casually for meeting a Lord, but from what he had been told from Millie, the man was rather casual himself. He had relaxed quite a bit since all of her brothers had left home, and he had retired. He spotted a large family portrait that filled up almost the whole wall in front of him. It looked as though it had been painted shortly before Millie had left Hogwarts for her first year.

"Mr Potter." Harry turned, and saw Lady Bulstrode standing there. She was heavily made up once more, with fancy red robes, and her hair was done elaborately. "Welcome to our home." She said formally, and Harry bowed slightly to her.

"Thank you Lady Bulstrode."

"Follow me, please. My husband and Millicent are in the Drawing room."

Harry followed her through the house. It was a bit smaller than Malfoy Manor, and a bit more lived in. Harry reflected it was probably because of having four sons living in the house until just recently. He noted all the paintings on the walls, and not all of them were wizarding portraits either.  
Lady Bulstrode noticed he was looking. "Recent acquisitions by my husband. Muggle artists." She did not sound pleased at this.

They came to a stop in front of the Drawing room, and Harry noted with a grin that there was a very large, familiar painting that sat on the wall, one that had been in the art book that he'd given Millie. What a Father, huh?

Lady Bulstrode couldn't even look at it. She opened the doors for Harry, allowing him inside. Millicent was sitting at a table, her drawing supplies set up. She was drawing, wearing a smock over a fancy dark blue dress. Her fingertips were smudged with charcoal, but Harry let her hug him anyways. She pulled away, and Harry noted her Father standing up.

He was a rather large man, in height, and was built rather well. Harry reckoned he had been a rather good duelist at some point. What had Millie said he had done for a living? He couldn't remember.

"Mr. Potter!" The man boomed, shaking his hand thoroughly, making Harry's arm a bit wobbly. "So good to meet you at last. We've heard so much about you from our Millie."

Harry gave him a small smile, withdrawing his hand. "The pleasure is all mine, Lord Bulstrode."

"Please, call me Aidan." The man sat down, putting his feet up on the settee, and put his pipe back in his mouth. Harry sat down in the armchair while Lady Bulstrode sat in the other one. Millicent wiped her hands on her smock, taking it off. She sat next to her Father with a happy grin.

"So, Harry, how have your holidays been so far?"

"Good, very good sir."

"Are you looking forward to seeing the competition? Your friend, the muggleborn...what's his name again? He's competing, correct?"

"Yes, Dean Thomas. He won last year for the Dagger competition." Harry said with a grin.

"Yes, that's right! I suppose you'll be rooting for Draco as well. Both lads are pretty good, I can give you that. My eldest was in the Competition circuit for a bit too, before he went to work for the Ministry. You planning on competing?"

"Well..."

Millie spoke up, saving Harry. "Harry's a bit shy. He's good at dueling, but...not in front of a crowd."

"Aye, I understand. I'm a duelist myself, you see, well, I was one before I retired. But I was a Hitwizard. Best to work alone, am I right my lad?"

Harry gave the man a hesitant smile. The man gave him a Look he didn't quite understand, but he went on. "So, Millie's sent on her letter to Snape about her electives. What are you signing up for?"

"I'm not quite sure yet. I was thinking Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures."

"Aye, then you'll be with Millie, then."

"Aiden!" Lady Bulstrode hissed. "I thought we agreed that Millicent shouldn't be taking a class such as that."

Aiden waved it off. "Millie's a strong girl, she can handle it. Her brothers took the class, I don't see why she can't."

Harry and Millie exchanged a look at this.

"So...um, Aiden, how is the retired life treating you?"

"Ah, it's rather boring actually." The man laughed, a great big booming laugh that had both Harry and Millie smiling, and Lady Bulstrode frowning.  
"Been thinking about exploring the muggle world a bit more. Took Millie there a few times now, we like the museums, don't we, Mil?"

Millie nodded quickly at this, and Lady Bulstrode frowned. "I don't think it's appopriate for you to take her to such a place. Imagine, muggles about everywhere, looking at such...filth..."

Harry raised a brow. He coughed, trying to change the subject. "So, about that dueling competition."

x-x-x

Harry, Millie, and her Father stood on the sidelines, close to the dueling platform. It was the finals now, and they would be starting up soon. Millicent was excited to be there- not many girls usually went to this thing, and she'd heard a lot about it from Harry and Dean. Aiden stood behind them, talking to a wizard he apparently knew. Harry was listening in on their conversation, talking about the duels that had taken place earlier that day. Flint had won his duel...oh, that was Marcus' Father. Harry kept his gaze ahead, anxious for the duels to begin.

The announcer came onto the platform. "For our first duel of the finals, Draco Malfoy vs. Jeremy O'Connor, in the longsword!"

Harry watched his adopted brother duel, reflecting that Draco had gotten much better since Harry had seen him duel last. He'd gotten a lot taller too. He looked as though he'd grown quite a bit rather quickly, so he was a bit gangly looking. But that didn't matter- he was still winning that duel. He defeated O'Connor soundly, smirking victoriously as he received his money and his award. Harry watched him get off the platform, and shakes hands with his Father.

Lucius was here. Harry should have expected it. The man would have never missed his son's competition. He felt angry still, at the man. Perhaps it was just best to ignore him for the moment.

x-x-x

The Dagger competition came next- Harry recognized both of them from the previous year, in the semi-finals. Where was Dean? He looked about, and saw his best friend, standing just off of the platform, looking around.

Dean was looking for him. Harry tugged on Millie's sleeve. "I'm going to go talk to Dean real quick." Millie gave him a slight nod, her eyes still on the duelists on the platform. Harry made his way through the crowd, trying not to touch too many people. Did people really have to stand so close?

Dean's eyes lit up as he saw Harry, and he pulled him into a hug. Harry saw a camera flash out of the corner of his eye. "You're here." Dean said with a wide grin.

"I thought you'd be doing daggers again this year."

Dean shook his head, his dreadlocks shaking at the movement. "Nah, I'm doing hand-to-hand."

Harry glanced at his friend's clothes. He was just wearing a wife beater, a denim jacket, jeans, and heavy boots. "You're really trying to make an impression, aren't you?"

Dean smirked at this, and Harry chuckled. Both boys looked up at the platform. "I'm surprised that Finch guy isn't here this year, looking for vengeance." Harry joked.

Dean sighed, his smirk fading. "He is. I'm dueling against him next."

"What?" Harry's eyes went wide.

"Yeah. He was originally slated in for Daggers, but when he saw that I was going for hand-to-hand, he switched categories in the semi-finals."

"Oh." Harry frowned.

"I'll be fine, Harry. Don't worry. Where were you earlier? I didn't see you."

"I was with the Bulstrodes. Millie is here." Harry grinned. "I think she'll drool when she sees you."

"Really?"

"No. Not really. Now Susan and Hannah, on the other hand..."

Dean chuckled. "Both of them? Awesome."

The duel was over, and Harry was patting his friend on the back as he went up the platform. Those who'd been there the previous year whispered and pointed at him, like Dean was a sideshow attraction. Harry stayed put, wanting to be close in case Dean was hurt this time.

x-x-x

It was an amazing duel. Harry couldn't help but impressed. It looked as though Finch had trained a lot the past year. Probably because he was shamed about a muggleborn beating him the previous year. Harry cheered his best friend on. Dean was treating this more like a boxing match. Halfway through the duel, both boys were bloody and bruised, and neither of them clearly wanted to stand down.

Harry swore he saw a lot people in the crowd start whispering as Dean threw his jacket off, in the direction of Finch. It wasn't cheating, technically. Even though his best friend wasn't gay, Harry couldn't help but admire his physique. Dean was really getting some muscles. Must have been all that Weasley food- all those boys were built rather well.

Dean staggered back as Finch hit him with a powerful blow. Harry itched to go up there and help him out, but he couldn't. That would definitely be cheating. Dean used his momentum to fall back, swiping his leg underneath Finch, and take the boy down. Finch landed hard on his back, hitting his head. Dean quickly knelt over him, keeping him down for the required time that would qualify an Out.

"Dean Thomas wins again!" The announcer cried, and Harry cheered loudly. And this time, there was a surprising amount of cheers from the crowd. Dean got up, shaking hands with Finch, who looked pissed off. Dean then shook hands with the announcer, accepting his prize money, and his award.

Cameras went off, and Dean headed towards Harry, walking off the platform. His friend looked pretty bloodied up, but he was grinning like mad. Just like the old days.

"How are you feeling?" Harry said, and Dean ruffled his hair.

"Never better mate, never better."

Someone called out from the crowd, pushing their way through the photographers and press.

"Mr. Thomas! Mr. Thomas! I saw you duel here last year, and I just wanted to say thank you!" The older man shook Dean's hand rapidly.

"Thank you? For?"

"I'm a muggleborn too. For years, we've been shut out of all sorts of things, and well...you sort of given us muggleborns some hope. So...thanks!"

"Uh...yeah. Thanks." Dean echoed, sounding a bit bewildered. More pictures were taken, and the reporters closed in.

"Mr. Thomas, how does it feel, as a muggleborn, to win this competition the second year in a row?"

"Well..uh, alright I guess. I'm...actually kind of beat. I think my nose is bleeding." Dean said, touching his broken nose.

Harry laughed, and spoke up for his friend. "Dean's a little out of it right now. But I will say that he was very happy to compete again, and that he is looking forward to the challenge next year!"

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter-"

Harry and Dean pushed their way through the crowd, where they met Draco and Lucius. Lucius couldn't meet Harry's eyes.

"Congratulations, Thomas." Draco said, his voice flat. Both boys shook hands- Harry was barely aware of a camera going off again.

"You too, Draco." Dean said.

"Well, well! I haven't seen a fight like that in years!" Lord Bulstrode boomed, approaching them. Millie was holding his hand, looking at Dean with bright eyes.

"Wow Dean, what a fight! I only ever see you fight Harry like that."

Draco frowned, and he spoke to his Father quietly. He looked as though he wanted to leave.

Lord Bulstrode noticed this, as did Harry. "And Draco, you did quite well- your Father must be proud!"

"Thank you Lord Bulstrode." Draco said stiffly. "Excuse me, but I should be getting home."

"Of course, you must be exhausted. Good show again, Dean."

"Thank you Lord Bulstrode."

"You should come by the house sometime, I can show you all of my old medals. I used to be in the circuit, way back."

Then Millie spoke up, making a large group of people around them look scandalized.

"Hey Dean, could you teach me how to fight like that?"

Dean laughed. "Honestly, Harry's better at hand-to-hand than I am."

Lord Bulstrode looked interestedly at Harry in this. "Oh?"

Harry blushed. "Dean's lying. I haven't trained properly in ages." He waved it off.

x-x-x

Harry stared at the latest issue of Witch Weekly that had been delivered with the morning mail. For once, all three Malfoys and Harry were sitting together at the breakfast table. Dean was also there, half asleep, a bandage still covering his eye. It was two days after the competition, and he was still sporting some injuries. Harry and Lucius still weren't talking, and Draco wasn't really talking to anyone at all. Narcissa tried to keep everything cheerful, but it was clear that things were pretty chilly.

Harry was on the cover of Witch Weekly. Harry was on the cover of a magazine! After meeting Mr. Bubbles in Diagon, he had arranged an interview with him. But he hadn't expected this! The whole issue was dedicated to him!

Harry blushed. "May I be excused?" He asked Narcissa. The woman glanced at the magazine in his hands, and gave him a slight nod. Dean gave him a grin, while Draco scowled into his plate. Harry left the table, and went to his room to look at the magazine. It was surreal, sort of. He was used to the Daily Prophet photos, but he didn't read that newspaper much. However, he'd been an avid reader of Witch Weekly for ages, borrowing copies until he'd gotten his own subscription for Yule this past year.

He laid, stomach down, on his bed, and opened the magazine. He flipped through the ads, stopping at some of the pictures. Unlike the Daily Prophet, everything in the magazine was in full color, with glossy pages. He looked...really good. The Photographer had done well.

The interview covered three pages, but his photos filled the magazine. Inside were photos of previous outings in Diagon Alley, at the Malfoy's Yule Ball back in his first year, even at Platform 9 and 3/4 last fall. There were pictures of him at Hogwarts with his friends- he didn't know how they got those shots. They must have gotten Creevey to sell some pictures. At least they looked good. They talked about his likes, dislikes, and his friends. They even speculated if he had a girlfriend. According to the magazine, he liked intelligent girls, as all of his friends did rather well in their classes. They speculated who had the best chances of dating him at the moment, and there was even a poll.

To Harry's horror, there was even a quiz for girls to take, to see if they were compatible with him. He shook his head, throwing the magazine aside. At least the pictures were good. He frowned, pulling the magazine back to him, glancing at the info on the photos. His clothing brands were all named- free advertising for those companies. He frowned. He really should get some freebies out of this, right?

He sat up, fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt. He longed to wear muggle clothes again, to wear something pretty, but he hadn't been to the muggle world in ages. All of his muggle clothing was too small for him now. He pouted, and slid off of his bed, going to his dressing table. He sat down, opening the drawer. Hmm...a bit of rouge might make him feel a bit better.

As he applied it, his eyes widened, and he stared at his reflection. He leant in, narrowing his eyes. Was that a blemish? He looked a bit closer. No. Good.

Harry glared at his reflection hatefully. He buried his face in his hands. He really did not like the puberty monster at all.

x-x-x

Whoo! Another chapter! I hope you guys like it. Thanks again, for your awesomeness. Please review. Lots more to come, soon. And yes, Sirius and Remus will be paired in this story. :3


	21. Chapter 21

Love In the Dark

* * *

From time to time, I get people asking me for recommendations for good stories. Feel free to look at my favorites list- there's a good collection of BDSM stories, comedy, crackfics, harem, slash and het. I mostly read longer stories, and most of them that make the favorites list are complete. There are very few one-shots there, but the ones that are, are really, really good. Like Agent O, by Rorschach's Blot. XD

One of the first HPSS stories that I ever read is called Life As I Know It, by Blinded HP. That, along with Another Kind of Magic, by the goofball. They are both very, very different from each other, and both are very good in their own ways. I feel as though both provide a good insight into the D/s dynamic.

x-x-x

Harry watched his friends milling around the room, gossiping and chatting away. The Malfoys had rented a room in an upscale place to host Harry's thirteenth birthday party. Harry had been the one in charge of the invitations. Some of the people there looked rather confused as to why they were there, but Harry didn't mind.

Neville, Hermione, Seamus, the twins, and Lee were all talking in one corner, while most of the Slytherins were in another corner. Susan, Hannah, Tonks, and Luna were all talking near the table. Luna's Father was there, as was Susan's Aunt, and Hannah's parents. Ella and her husband were there as well, watching everything from their spot at the table. Flint was sitting next to them, with his fiance. All four Heads of Houses were there as well, and Harry was still a bit surprised that they had accepted his invitation. They hovered away from the students, noshing on the food. Madam Pomfrey had also been invited.

The Malfoys were there, of course, as were Lord and Lady Bulstrode.

Harry approached Severus, listening to the end of a conversation that he and Flitwick were having.

"Hullo Harry! Happy Birthday. How does it feel to be thirteen?" Flitwick asked.

Harry gave him a small smile. "Same as twelve, I suppose."

"So...how are you feeling, dear?" Professor Sprout asked, looking at him worriedly.

Harry just gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. He knew Narcissa would dissaprove, but oh well. "I'm okay. I'm glad that everyone was able to come today. I honestly expected you lot to turn the invitation down- you wouldn't want to be accused of favoritism..." He chuckled.

Flitwick laughed too. "Ah, I made it no secret that your Mother was one of my favorites!" He squeaked.

"Really?"

"Oh yes, she was quite good at charms- she could have been a Charms Mistress, if she had continued her education and had a patron..." The man looked a bit sad at this.

"I wasn't aware that you were friends with Miss Tonks, Harry." Sprout said, glancing to the Hufflepuff alumni.

"Yeah. She taught me a few things, back in first year. She's great fun." He waved to Tonks, who came over. She tripped slightly, grinning sheepishly.

She ruffled up Harry's bangs. "How's it goin' Harry?"

"Alright. How's training?"

"Ugh, exhausting. I'm just glad I got the day off today. Moody's been driving me up the walls. Hey, that good looking bloke over there, that's Flint, isn't it?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "He's taken. That's his fiance, sitting next to him."

"Oh." Tonks pouted. She grinned cheekily at the adults. "So, how are you lot doing? Never thought I'd miss Hogwarts, but here I am."

"We've been keeping busy." McGonagall said. "There was a rather large donation to the school just last week, and now we're amending our budget."

Tonks grinned. "That's fantastic! Maybe you should get some new school brooms- the old ones nearly kill the firsties every year."

Harry thought it was a good idea, actually.

"I thought we could have a formal dueling club, rather than the mess that Lockhart had last year." McGonagall ventured, making Harry wince. She looked at the boy. "Sorry dear."

"...It's okay." Harry said quietly. "I think that's a good idea too. People should be able to learn how defend themselves properly. What with our Defense Professors...uhm, leaving, it might be a good idea to have a club too."

"Well, the Headmaster is still interviewing applicants for the post. He's having a bit of trouble finding someone, however."

Harry nudged Tonks. "You could ask Tonks here, once she's finished her training up, but that won't be for a couple of years yet, right?"

Tonks flushed at this. "Oh no, I couldn't. I'm not nearly as good as some of the other guys I'm training with. I'm so klutzy!"

Narcissa came over to the group. "Harry, it's time for cake."

x-x-x

Harry and Narcissa were in muggle London, to do a bit of shopping- a birthday present from the woman. Narcissa was trying to act very bright and cheery, and Harry knew exactly what she was doing.

They were looking at shoes when Harry spoke up quietly. "You know whatever is going on between Lucius and I...isn't your fault. I know I've been distant from all of you."

Narcissa's smile faded. "He is trying to make things better, you know."

Harry frowned. "I know. But you can't solve everything with a bit of money. I don't want him getting into something that he can't back out of."

Narcissa sighed, and she held up a pair of shoes. "Do you think these will be suitable for school?"

Harry looked wistfully at them. "I wish, but I don't think I could pull them off. People will start saying things soon. If I don't display interest in girls and keep...dressing the way I do."

Narcissa shook her head. "When did you start worrying about what other people think?" She led him away from the shoes, and he followed her to the dress section. They were going through the racks when Harry spoke again quietly.

"I don't. I just...people look up to me, strangely enough. I...I kind of want to be a good role model." He rolled his eyes at this. "Strange, I know."

"There are worse people to look up to." Narcissa said softly, holding out a dress. "Think you could get away with wearing this when you're alone?"

Harry looked at the dress and smiled. "It is rather pretty..." He took the dress into his hands, looking at the soft fabric. It was rather fetching. Too bad he couldn't try it on... he glanced around, and seeing that none of the clerks were looking their way. He pulled his ponytail, freeing his hair. He adjusted his jacket a bit, zipping it up all the way. This way, he'd just look like a flat chested girl. He knew it wouldn't be long before he would have to resort to glamours and things in the muggle world, if he ever wanted to do this- the puberty monster would soon make him grow tall and not girlish at all.

"I'll go try it on." He said quietly, grabbing the couple of dresses he'd been looking at, and ducking into a dressing room. He set his other shopping bags down, and went about trying the dresses on. To his horror, he found that they were a bit loose in the front, and his shoulders were a bit too wide...this sucked. Big time. Would he have to go a size up?

He turned, looking at his reflection, gathering the fabric tightly around his waist. This wasn't fun anymore. He scowled at his reflection, looking at the clothing. He could get things custom made, but that would just be a hassle and far too expensive for clothing that he wouldn't be able to wear outside his room. He pulled off the dress over his head, and jumped as there was a knock at the door.

"Miss? Your Mother wanted me to give you a few more things..." A female clerk called out.

Harry shifted uncomfortably, very aware that he was just standing there in his underwear, half wearing a dress that obviously showed he was a boy. He clutched the fabric to his chest, and cracked the door open a bit.

The girl handed over a few things on hangers- severals girls' trousers, and some blouses. She froze for a moment, staring at Harry. Her eyes went round as her gaze dropped, and Harry shut the door in her face.

He closed his eyes, cursing himself, dropping the dress to the floor. He tried on the trousers and blouses. He decided to get them, as he could get away with wearing them out. He noticed that Narcissa had chosen clothing that had more muted colors, and the cuts weren't as obviously girlish. It was...a compromise. Harry could live with it, for now.

He left the dressing room, clothing in his arms, ignoring the way that the clerk was whispering to the others, and they were all staring at him strangely. He approached Narcissa, who had picked up on what was happening.

"We will just pay for items and go elsewhere." The woman murmured.

x-x-x

When Harry and Narcissa returned late that afternoon, Harry caught Draco scowling at him when he passed Draco's room. The boy was leaning against his open door, arms crossed over his chest.

"Slumming in the muggle world again?"

Harry rolled his eyes, and opened his bedroom door. He carried his things inside his room. Draco followed him.

"Before you came along, my Mother would have never gone to the muggle world. Before you came along, she was a proper pureblood wife, and she did as she was told- before you came along, my Mother and Father never, ever fought-"

Harry set his things on the bed, and turned to glare at Draco. "I have nothing to do with your parents fighting-"

Draco looked furious. "Don't interrupt me, you stupid muggle lover! I hate you! I hate that you get all the attention from the upper years, I hate that everyone seems to love you so much! I'm the Malfoy Heir! I'm important too! Everyone wants to be your friend, and you're always in the papers-"

Harry laughed. "You're jealous!" Perhaps that was not the smartest thing to do.

Draco punched him. Hard. Harry hadn't expected it. He fell down to the floor, and slowly sat up, clutching his jaw. He stared up at Draco, and saw that the boy was so upset his hands were shaking. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I am not jealous!" He yelled.

Harry felt sorry for him, for a moment. "What do you want me to do?" Harry asked quietly. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Yes! Mother and Father may have adopted you, but you're no brother of mine!" Draco scowled as he grabbed Harry's shopping bags, and threw them at Harry. "Take your filthy muggle clothes, and..." He trailed off, seeing all the blouses and trousers, knickers, camisoles, and even a few skirts. "What the..." His anger faded, and he looked visibly surprised. "What the hell is this? Is this some muggle freak thing?"

"Draco..." Harry said quietly. "Look, I can explain-"

"Ugh, disgusting- I always knew you were too girly-" Harry flinched at this, and stood up.

"I can still kick your ass." Harry said dangerously.

"Oh yeah?" Draco made to hit Harry, and Harry blocked it, and followed the movement to punch Draco directly in the gut. The boy doubled over, and Harry grabbed him by that pretty blonde hair of his, yanking his head up.

"Don't fucking mess with me." Harry said flatly. "I've killed before, and I can do it again. I might like to dress like a girl, but at least I'm not a spoiled child. Get the fuck out of my room." He snarled, shoving Draco.

Draco fell to the floor, and stared up at Harry fearfully. "Yo-You've never killed before." He whispered.

"I have. Quirrel. I shot him."

"Sh-shot him? Why?"

"He was trying to attack me." Harry said, his voice still flat. "And I stabbed Lockhart when he tried to attack me again too."

"Again? Lockhart?" Draco echoed, looking confused. "I haven't heard anything about this."

"Ask your parents."

"But...why would they attack you?" Draco asked, standing up.

"Please leave." Harry said, mechanically picking up his things. Draco left the bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind him, Harry dropped whatever he was holding, and buried his face in his hands.

x-x-x

Harry woke in the middle of the night to find an owl tapping at his window. He got up from his bed, putting his glasses on. He wrapped a sheet around him to sheild himself from the cold air. He took the letter from the owl, and it shot off again. Harry opened it, recognizing Tonks' handwriting. It was rushed looking, and messier than usual.

_Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban- it just happened an hour ago. In the briefing, we were told that he might come after you. Be Careful. -Tonks_

Harry sank down on his bed, staring at the letter in his hands. He hadn't really expected this. After all, wasn't Azkaban supposed to safe? Then again, Hogwarts was supposed to safe too. And now a madman was after him, the madman that had betrayed his parents. He sat in his bed for several hours, trying to collect his thoughts. He needed to figure out a plan. The news would undoubtedly hit the papers soon, and people would get a little crazy over it. He needed information, and he needed it fast.

He went to his desk, and wrote a letter to Tonks back.

_If you can, look at his trial transcripts. Why would he break out all of a sudden? Did they give a reason in the briefing? I've been in the wizarding world for a couple of years now, so why now? Any hints to how he broke out? I want to know his strengths and weaknesses, so I can protect myself better- any evidence and such will be a big help. Thanks for the tip. You watch out for yourself too. -Harry_

Harry pulled on his dressing robe, not bothering to get dressed properly. He left his bedroom, and knocked on Narcissa's and Lucius' door. He heard a noise, and after a moment, Narcissa came to the door, clearly half awake.

"Harry?"

"Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban." Harry said, holding up his letter from Tonks.

Narcissa jolted awake at this, and read the letter. "I see. I will tell Lucius to strengthen the wards, and go to the Ministry to see what's going on." Harry gave her a nod, and went downstairs. He went to Dean's room in the guest wing, banging on his door.

Dean opened the door groggily. "Harry...what's goin' on?"

Harry handed over the letter silently. Dean scowled. "Damn." He let Harry inside the room. It was much smaller than Harry's room, but it was still quite nice.

Dean sat on his bed. "This Tonks chick, she'll get the info you need. She might have to do a bit of sneaking around, but she'll get it."

"I hope so." Harry said quietly, sitting next to Dean. "This guy betrayed my parents, Dean."

"You wanna kill him?"

"...I just want to know why he broke out now. Why now, rather than when I first returned to the wizarding world? It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe he somehow got a hold of a copy of Witch Weekly." Dean joked.

"Ugh." Harry grimaced.

"Curl up with me- it's still the middle of the night."

The two friends curled up in the bed together, Dean hugging him tight. Harry sighed. "This is nice."

"Don't get any ideas." Dean warned.

Harry giggled. "Who, me?"

"Yeah, you. I better not wake up to find you groping me."

"Ah, just like old times." Harry said, snuggling into Dean's chest. "You're not as snuggly as you used to be. You lost all that baby fat."

"Of course I did. I'm a growing boy, unlike you." Dean murmured, carding his fingers through Harry's hair sleepily.

"Hey, I'm growing too." Harry pouted.

"Just don't do any growing down there while you're in bed with me, alright?"

Harry was quiet at this. He pulled away from Dean's arms, and rolled over with his back to his friend.

"Harry? You alright?"

"...Since...Lockhart...I haven't really been..._up_ to that sort of thing." Harry admitted quietly.

"Oh..." Dean hugged him from behind gently. "Don't worry Harry, you'll be slutting around in no time." He attempted to joke.

Harry turned over, scowling at his friend in the darkness. He punched Dean's arm. "I'm not like that anymore! Shut up."

"...Sorry. Guess you're only lusting after the Greasy Git now?"

Harry sighed. "Let's just get some sleep."

x-x-x

Harry and Lucius met up in the garden- Harry had been daydreaming, wandering the path, while Lucius was brooding on one of the benches. Their gazes met, and Harry looked away first, a bit ashamed of how Lucius looked a bit nervous.

"Harry."

"Sir." Harry replied, approaching him. "Did you hear anything at the Ministry?"

"Fudge, that idiot, just saw Black the day before he escaped. He gave Black a newspaper." The man sneered.

"Oh...he saw me in it?"

"Most likely. The guards heard him murmuring 'he's at hogwarts, he's at hogwarts'. So yes, I assume he is after you."

Harry sighed, flopping down to sit on the bench beside the man. "Well, damn."

"They have the whole Auror department, and they've even got a few Hitwizards after him."

"I know. Tonks wrote me again this morning. Do you remember there being a trial?"

Lucius frowned, looking thoughtful. "I...I'm not sure. I can look into the records. Those days, well, it was chaotic. Many people were coming out of hiding, others were discovered dead, there were quite a bit of trials...I'm sure Black had a trial."

"According to Tonks, there was never a trial. Black confessed, and they threw him straight to Azkaban."

Lucius shook his head. "Veritaserum?"

"If they used it, it wasn't written in the report."

"...I see. But the evidence was rather overwhelming..."

"You and I both know that he could have been framed. We need to find Black, so that he can have a proper trial. I don't want to send the wrong man to Azkaban, not if my parent's real betrayer is out there."

Lucius looked thoughtful. "If I remember correctly, the Potters were friendly with Black, Pettigrew, and Lupin. Pettigrew is dead, by Black, and Lupin disappeared shortly after his friends were killed."

"Disappeared?" Harry said with a frown.

"Yes."

"Hmm."

They shared a look, and Harry offered the man a cautious smile. "First time we talk all summer, and we're talking about capturing a wanted fugitive. Even if you are a Bastard, I've missed you."

Lucius breathed a sigh of relief. "And I've missed you as well, child." He reached over, tucking a lock of hair behind Harry's ear. Harry shied away from the touch, turning away from the man. Lucius winced. "I'm sorry."

"...It's okay." Harry said quietly.

"Draco talked to us." Lucius said after a moment. "He was quite distressed."

"Oh?"

"I know you two don't get along. Even though you are both the same age, you are so different. I know that Narcissa and I have...sheltered our son, and you know quite a bit of the world. More than you should, really." The man said this last part softly.

"It doesn't give me an excuse for threatening you."

"But I understand why you did it. Harry... you have a good heart. Despite all the things that have happened to you, you...don't let it get the best of you."

Harry rolled his eyes at this. "You have no idea."

"I think I do. I know you're trying to change for the better...and so am I. Yes, we're dangerous men, but...perhaps our skills be put to good use. Yes?"

"...How?"

"Helping those who need it, rather than for our own gain."

Harry gave the man a confused a look. Lucius explained. "The Malfoy family has a long history of philanthropy- but mostly towards certain causes and missions that...benefit us and our friends, rather than everyone else. I have been considering our Family's image. While we have bettered it, since you came to our Family, I do think it could improve. And I think you are old enough to get involved with our community in a greater capacity."

"What do you mean?"

"I am giving you the option to take control of your properties and investments. I think you will make good use of it. We can go to Gringott's tomorrow and turn the paperwork over. While I do have the final say, you will have control. While you have been tutored in finances, a little hands on practice won't hurt. I will be doing the same for Draco this year as well- I'm giving him our share of stock in Flourish and Blott's."

"I suppose this is your form of a 'coming of age' test?"

"Of sorts. It's tradition. There's a reason why we are so financially secure, you know."

Harry nodded slowly, looking down to his lap. "Lucius...I really do think you should spend some more time on your son. I will make myself scarce for the rest of the holidays."

"...I understand."

Their eyes met, and Harry offered the man a shy smile. "I think I'll spend a bit more time with Severus."

x-x-x

It was raining when Harry arrived to Spinner's End. Since Severus wasn't at the school, he sort of...guilted McGonagall into telling him where the man's house was. It wasn't accessable by floo, unless Harry had permission from Severus, so he took the Knight Bus. Harry arrived at the damp and dreary place. Rowhouses, squashed up against each other, their chimneys blazing and kids running about jumping in the puddles.

Harry raised the hood on his jacket, darting past an old man with an umbrella. He arrived to Snape's house, and knocked on the door briskly. No one answered. Harry cursed, and banged on the door again. No one. Harry turned, frowning. Severus must have stepped out.

He waited on the front stoop, shivering and cold, wishing he could cast magic here, but couldn't because he was underage and he was in the muggle world.  
He huddled close to the door, trying to keep himself warm. He was there for twenty minutes until he finally saw Snape walking up, umbrella in one hand, and a bag of groceries in the other. Their eyes met, and Harry gave him a cheerful wave.

He then noticed the ciggarette hanging from the man's lips, and his muggle clothes. Woah.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" Severus hissed, striding quickly towards the door. Severus unlocked it, and they went inside.

"Wanted to see you." Harry said, watching Severus flick the umbrella, drying it off wandlessly. He set it aside, and Harry followed him further into the house. Harry glanced around. The place was rather small and dreary, and books were stacked all over the place. On end tables, on chairs- and bookcases were everywhere. One guess how Severus spent his pocket money.

The kitchen was small and dismal looking, and Harry took the man's groceries. "Let me. You get out of those wet clothes."

Severus gave him a Look, and ignored him. He grabbed the bag back, and started putting things away. "You shouldn't be here. Black escaped Azkaban- it's not safe for you to be alone."

Harry pouted, and looked at the things that the Professor unpacked. Several cartons of ciggarettes, some whisky, bread, and cheese. He looked about the kitchen, and sighed. "You live here?"

Severus frowned. "Just for a few weeks a year. Sometimes If I'm at a conference, not even that." He turned to Harry, crossing his arms over his chest. "You shouldn't be here."

Harry just grinned. "You said that earlier. I didn't know you smoked." Harry took the cigarette from the man's lips.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Severus muttered, and watched Harry take a drag. Harry coughed a bit, but took another drag anyways. "Who said you could take that?"

Harry laughed. "You didn't say no. So, I came here because I wanted to talk. About my training. We've put this off long enough."

Severus turned away. "I just want you to concentrate on your other training, for now. You've already got quite a bit on your plate."

Harry sighed, and pulled off his wet jacket. "Mind if I clean up a bit? I'm soaked, and I don't have the advantage of using spells outside of school yet."

"Loo's around the corner, down the hall, to the left." Severus muttered.

"Thanks." Harry left the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned, wearing a dark green bathrobe, and nothing else.

Severus' eyes went round as he saw Harry. "Where are your clothes?"

"They're wet."

"...I'll go dry them."

Harry caught Severus as he passed. "Don't bother." Harry murmured, pulling the man close, their faces inches from each other. "Sir, you said that we would talk. I've waited long enough."

Severus shoved him away, his cheeks suspiciously pink. Harry smirked as he watched the man leave the room to dry Harry's things.

Severus came back to find the kitchen empty. "Harry?"

"In the sitting room!" Harry called out, his voice loud enough to carry through the thin walls. Severus went into the sitting room, stopping short as he saw Harry sitting in front of the loveseat, on the floor, He grinned at Severus, and the man cursed internally. Harry had grown up quite a bit over the summer, and it showed.

He shoved the boy's clothes at him. "Get dressed."

"Alright." And Harry did. Right in front of him. Severus turned away quickly, but not before getting a good look. What was up with him?

"I thought...you would be more...reticent, after the events of last year." Severus stated, trying not to imagine what the boy looked like dressing.

"It's different, with you. Alright, I'm finished."

Severus turned slightly, and Harry sat on the loveseat, fully clothed. Severus sat down in the armchair instead of the loveseat, wanting to put space between them. "Tell me what's going on."

"I want to know about my training." Harry said simply. "If I am to be yours, I need to be trained, right? Everything's been put on hold long enough."

"You're still too young."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes...fuck. Forget it." Severus muttered. "Fine, alright. If I'm going to start training you, you must be absolutely serious about this. This isn't a game, understand?"

"...Yes sir."

"Very well then." Severus settled into his chair, looking thoughtful. "The books you read, I'm sure are graphic and are very...fun to read, but they aren't really guidebooks. Some of them completely disregard safety and tradition. Yes, I read those books, but that was years ago, before I actually had experience. Now that I have experience, I know what I like and dislike."

"Yes?"

Severus studied Harry carefully. "I want someone that is skilled, knowledgable, and able to support themselves in their own right. I want them to be capable of taking care of themselves, if they have to. You are all of these things, yes, but you also need to consider the future. Even if you are Mine, I still want you to have a career and a social life. My work is very important to me, so you can't expect me to pay attention to you all the time."

"I get that." Harry said.

"There are those who believe that the BDSM lifestyle is extravagant and full of devious sex all the time...that's just not practical. I tend to keep things separate. I have a time for work, and a time for play. Sometimes, if I am stressed because of work, I will not always be in the mood to play. I am a very private man, so we will never play in any space where we could be caught by those who know us. We will also take precautions like safe words...I do hope you know what those are, yes?"

Harry gave a slight nod at this.

"Good. Now...you and I will not have a physical relationship until both of us are ready to do so." At Harry's expression, he pressed on. "And I mean it. You can still be in service to me without a romantic relationship." Severus paused. "As you and Flint have ended your...relationship, you are welcome to pursue another, as long as you get permission from me first. I would want to make sure they are safe."

Harry looked down at this, frowning.

"I'm really not interested in anyone else right now, sir. Just you."

Severus cleared his throat. "That...can change. You're still young."

"So...how can I be of service to you in the meantime?" Harry asked.

Severus smirked at this. "By doing the best you can in your classes, and continuing your study group. I may ask you to do a few errands for me, but nothing that will leave you alone or out of the school. I want you to be safe."

"I...I'm not a bad cook, sir. I'm not bad at cleaning, either." Harry offered. "I know the elves clean the castle, but..."

"I actually don't permit the elves in my quarters. If...we do have time, perhaps I can ask you to do such things for me, as long as you've completed your other work."

Harry smiled brightly at this, and then it faded. "Sir...in the books, the submissives always talked about wanting to be submissive all the time...I'm not really like that." He bit his lip, looking a bit worried. "As a matter of fact, I feel more dominant with others."

Severus nodded slowly. "Yes. I can understand why." He tilted his head. "Have you ever felt dominant over me?"

Harry shook his head quickly, eyes wide. "No, never. Never with you." He blushed a bit. "You've always been different."

"There are such things as switches, people who can be both dominant and submissive. I've known switches who dominate women, and are only submissive to men, or visa versa. Sometimes, it's just a matter of personality. Some people just react dominantly to certain personalities, or submissive to others." He paused. "Take your friend Dean, for example. There are times that he acts submissively to you, but he has a very dominant personality to others. However, he _does_ talk back to you, because you are so close."

"What? Dean doesn't act submissively to me..." Harry stuttered.

"He doesn't? He runs errands for you in Knockturne- don't look so surprised- and he assists you in your study group meetings. At this point he is your...second of command, I suppose."

"...Oh." Harry said quietly.

"Millicent and the other girls act mostly submissive in your presence, not only because they have been trained to subconsciously by their Mothers and Families, but because they want to. The other boys are a bit more aggressive, but they still do as they are told, at this point, because they know that you are stronger than they are."

"Oh." Harry repeated.

"Dynamics of the group can change, yes, but...it does give you something to think about, doesn't it?"

"Why are you telling me all this?" Severus ignored this question.

"Then take Lucius and Narcissa. Both of them have dominant personalities, and are very powerful. However, they are submissive to you at times because they know you have the potential in the future to outshine them both. They want to help you, because you can help them. Draco, on the other hand, is struggling, because he's still trying to find his place on the totem pole, so to speak. I believe that he, and some of the other Slytherin boys, may branch out and try to gain independence this year. We will need to prevent that from happening."

"...Why?"

"A united group is a strong group. Infighting will help no one. Enough of that. Let's get back to your training." Severus waved it off. "You have received training from a good amount of people who are knowledgeable in a variety of subjects. Miss Ella and Narcissa taught you how to talk to Ladies properly, helping you gain the loyalty of your female friends, and making a good impression among influential wives."

"Lucius and I, along with Flint, have taught you how to fight, duel, and notice the various political nuances that you will be involved in the future. Then there is the training you have been putting yourself through."

"When you say it like that...it sounds exhausting."

"But it's all for a good cause. Harry...I know you. You don't want to fight the Dark Lord, but sooner or later, you will have to. And...I think, if Dumbledore ever found out how powerful you exactly are, he will find a way to take you down as well. He will think you are too dangerous to be left alone."

Harry scowled at this.

"You have been quietly gathering allies and information- don't look at me like that- I know exactly what you are doing. You have also been training physically, and training others as well. While you have a small presence in the newspapers and such, I think you need to gain more notoriety. While you are known as the Boy Who Lived, not many know of your skill in dueling and such."

"I don't want people knowing my skills." Harry cut in.

"I know. Which is why you are going to emphasize your other skills to the media. It will cause your opponents to underestimate you."

"My other skills?" Harry asked thoughtfully.

"You will soon have a great deal of financial power at your fingertips. You also are...attractive, and those at Witch Weekly-" Severus sneered at this "Have already noticed this. Using your fame, good looks, and money, you could become even more famous. But you must be careful. If they find out how dangerous you really are, you could be in great danger. That means no visits to Knockturne. That means no dueling with others outside the study group meetings. That also means pretending you are a great deal weaker than you already are."

"I...I do that already." Harry pointed out.

"What with you shooting Quirrel and...the whole business with...Him, last year, the staff is aware that you carry weapons on your person. I've convinced them that Lucius has taught you to carry weapons, but has focused on teaching his own son to duel. If they knew that you were taught how to duel not only by Lucius, but by myself and Flint, we would have a problem. I've convinced them that the damages you inflicted were just...lucky shots."

"I understand. So...if I do get stuck in a bind, I mess up on purpose."

"Correct."

"So...where do you sit in all of this?" Harry asked finally.

Severus just smirked. "As of right now? Your advisor, I suppose."

"And soon?" Harry asked, moving to approach the man. "How long do I have to wait before I can call you my lover?" He sat in the man's lap with a cheeky smile.

Severus sighed, and pulled the boy close. They shared a long look. "Harry...I cannot be that for you. Not yet. You should have more experience. I think...you should start dating."

"Dating?" Harry asked, visibly surprised. "You mean, like dating as in...going out to dinner and such?"

"Yes. With girls. And no sex. Just enough to get the tabloids talking. I believe Miss Bulstrode and Miss Lovegood might be good choices."

"Millie knows I'm gay."

"All the better, then." Severus said, kissing Harry's brow. "At least, that way, you won't break her heart."

x-x-x

Whoo! Another Chapter! Hope you guys liked it. Remember, check out those stories I recommended. Harry and the gang will be starting their third year in the following chapter. Finally. Oh, and please review!


	22. Chapter 22

Love In the Dark

* * *

Third Year is finally here! Woot. Thanks everyone, for reading, and for your reviewing awesome-ness. Make sure to read the note at the end. :3

x-x-x

It was raining as everyone loaded up their things on the train, and everyone was hurrying to say their goodbyes. Harry huddled underneath his umbrella, watching Draco say goodbye to his parents. Dean had already gone on the train, to save him a compartment. Lucky bastard, he wasn't the one stuck here in the rain.

"Goodbye Harry. Have a good year." Narcissa said, kissing both of his cheeks. "Stay safe, okay darling?"

Harry grinned. "I don't go looking for trouble, it just finds me." He shook Lucius' hand, and then spotted Millie and her parents.

"Mil!" He cried, and hugged the girl tightly. Millie squealed, and the two friends kissed each other's cheeks. Lord Bulstrode grinned widely at this, while Lady Bulstrode raised a brow. Narcissa and Lucius shared an amused look.

"Is that a new robe, Mil?"

"Yeah, it is. Papa got it for me."

"It looks very nice. Lord Bulstrode, very nice to see you again." He shook hands with the man. He moved his umbrella a bit so that Millie was shielded from the rain as well. He gave a slight nod to Lady Bulstrode, just so that he wasn't outright ignoring her. He turned to the Malfoys, and they shooed the kids onto the train.

Harry led the way to the compartment, looking for Dean. Draco separated from them quickly, looking for his own compartment. Harry shook off his umbrella a bit, flicking it so that it dried.

Millie noticed. "Was that wandless Harry?"

"A little something Severus taught me over the hols. So, you doing alright?"

"Well..."

"Oh! Dean's in here, and we already have a bit of company!"

Dean was in the compartment, trying to hold a conversation with Hermione. The girl was holding an ugly looking Kneazle in her arms. Dean looked a bit relieved as he saw them. "Hey guys."

Harry sat by the window, and Millie sat next to him. "Hullo Hermione. Good holiday?"

Hermione went off on her holiday about France. Harry really didn't pay attention to her, but he sure looked like he did. He noticed that Millie was looking a bit pale and...out of sorts. When he finally got Hermione to shut up, he spoke to Millie.

"You alright?"

The girl shrugged a bit, and Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, no need to be down. We're going back to Hogwarts!"

"Yeah. I guess. Mother was horrid this summer."

Harry rolled his eyes at this. The compartment door opened, revealing Luna and Ginny. Ginny spoke up shyly, looking to Harry. "Mind if we sit here?"

Harry nodded, and the girls put their things away. Both of them were completely soaked. Hermione helped them get dry with a few spells, now that they were allowed.

Just as Ginny and Luna were settling in, Susan and Hannah stopped by. They looked a bit dismayed there wasn't enough room in the compartment, said their hellos, and went on.

Harry realized that maybe it would be a good idea to reserve a group of compartments together next year, if it was possible. Shortly after they left, Daphne, Tracey, and Pansy stopped by. All three girls had...filled out quite a bit over the summer. And Pansy had lost quite a bit of weight.

"You look good, Pans." Dean said, grinning roguishly.

Pansy sniffed. "Pan_sy_, it's Pan_sy._ And thank you, Thomas. Good to see you Harry...where is Draco sitting?"

"Um...not sure."

"Well, see at the school then." She led the other girls away, and Harry wondered what had happened there.

Hermione struggled with her cat a bit more. "Crookshanks, why won't you sit still? Can't you be a good boy for me?"

Dean chuckled. "Your mad cat already tried to kill Ron's rat as soon as he saw the poor thing- you should lock that thing up."

"No!" Hermione cried, clutching the struggling cat close to her. "Don't listen to them, crookshanks." She whispered to the cat.

Harry and Dean exchanged a look at this, while Millie hid a smile behind her hands. Harry was surprised she hadn't already started drawing already.

"Where are your drawing things, Mil?"

Millie looked down at her lap, looking a bit upset. "Mother said it wasn't proper. She threw out all of my things while Papa was away one day." She said quietly.

The compartment grew quiet at this, everyone a bit uncomfortable. Luna spoke first, naturally, breaking the silence. "I have some parchment and colored pencils, Millie. You can borrow them if you like." Luna said, digging through her carpet bag.

"...Really?" Millie asked, looking as though she was about to cry.

Harry squeezed her shoulder. "Of course darling, you're an amazing artist, we wouldn't want you to stop because that horrid mother of yours told you so."

Millie sniffled as Luna handed over the drawing things, and started drawing immediately. "Thanks." She murmured, looking better already.

The train ride was going along rather well. Luna had told her story about she and her Father doing a bit of exploring in Ireland, and then Dean talked about the competition. As Dean was just getting to the part where he beat Finch, the train shuddered, and slowed.

Harry shivered, and Millie drew a bit closer to him. He looked over at the mirror to see ice forming. It was way too early in the year for it to be this cold...

"What's going on? We surely can't be at Hogwarts yet..." Hermione asked, and then the lights flickered out.

Harry and Dean drew their wands, with the girls quickly following. They all froze as the compartment door rattled, and opened slowly. Harry gasped, eyes widening as he saw a horrid creature, and heard the most awful things. A woman screaming, pained cries, pleading... He covered his ears, tears falling down his face as he fell to the floor- the creature drew nearer to him. Harry passed out just as a bright shape entered the compartment.

He came to, with his friends all around him, and a man hovering over him with a bit of chocolate. Harry sat up, holding his head. "What in the hell was a dementor doing here?"

"...I don't know, mate. You alright?" Dean asked, looking worried.

Harry looked to the man, who was looking at Harry strangely. "Here. Have a bit of chocolate. It'll help with the cold." The man stood, and Harry stood as well, feeling a bit off kilter.

"Who are you?" He asked sluggishly.

"Remus Lupin. I'm going to go check on the train conductor." And he left.

Harry sank into the nearest seat, tossing the bit of chocolate to the floor. He wasn't about to eat a bit of chocolate that a stranger had given him. He'd seen the after school specials, thank you very much! Luna wordlessly handed him still-wrapped chocolate frog, and he took a bite of that instead. He sighed in relief, his shivering waning.

"Are all of you okay?" Harry asked the others.

"We're fine." Hermione said in a small voice. "Mr. Lupin drove that dementor away...it almost killed you."

Harry sighed roughly. Of course, it wasn't a proper year at Hogwarts without him nearly getting killed. And now Lupin was at Hogwarts, just when his old friend escaped from Azkaban? Coincidence?

"What did you hear?" Luna asked him soothingly, handing him another chocolate frog.

Harry gave her a long look. "How did you know..."

"Being in the presence of dementors makes you relive your worst memories. I heard my Mother dying." Luna said simply, making the others stare at her.

"I...I heard my Mother screaming. At least, I think it was her." Harry said quietly, not wanting to admit to everything else. He and Dean shared a look, though, and that was enough to tell them what else they had heard.

The train ride after that was relatively quiet- Harry wrote to the Malfoys, while Hermione went off to see if everyone else on the train was okay. She had to practically drag that cat with her- it was acting, really, really weird.

x-x-x

They arrived to Hogwarts quickly, and Harry was horrified to learn during the Feast that Dementors had been stationed at the school for protection from Sirius Black. Millie kicked Draco underneath the table when he started chuckling at Harry.

It was then that they also learned that Remus Lupin was their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Of course. Severus was sitting next to him, and boy did he look pissed off. Their eyes met, and the man gave Lupin a Look, and then looked back to Harry in a clear warning. It was obvious that Severus did not trust the man.

He knew that Lupin had been a friend of his Father's and Black's, and that he'd disappeared after the war, but that was pretty much it. He didn't know anything else, but he was pretty sure he would find out soon. Considering the man had traveled on the train with them, he was a very, very late addition to the staff. Must have had trouble finding a DADA teacher this year. Not surprising.

Harry was quiet throughout the meal, noting the students glancing his way and murmuring. Undoubtedly, the story of him and the dementor had traveled pretty fast. How did one defend themself against a dementor anyways?

He left the Great Hall as soon as the Feast was over, following the rest of the students. He noticed that Pansy was talking to Vania, and that both Daphne and Tracey were hanging onto their every word. What was going on there?

Harry grabbed Millie's arm, and the two of them walked arm in arm together in the large group of Slytherins. He gave a slight wave to Marcus as they passed. The boy was a seventh year, this year. Unfortunately, he was not Head Boy; that was Percy Weasley. Harry really didn't like Percy all that much- he was a bit of a brown-noser. Dumbledore favored his Gryffindors, that was for sure.

Harry smiled at the second years and first years that passed them, saying hello to a few politely. They were all starry-eyed as they saw him.

Everyone entered the common room, and people started going to their rooms, Draco spoke up, his voice carrying.

"So Potter, a little scared of Dementors are we?"

Harry frowned as he saw Blaise, Theo, Vince, and Greg backing him up. Really? After all the help he'd given them? Millie's grip on his arm tightened, and she frowned.

"No. I'm not scared of them." Harry replied, and Harry noted that some kids hung back a bit, watching.

"Then why'd you faint?" Draco asked with a smirk, pretending to swoon. He wasn't very good at it.

"I heard my Mother screaming as Voldemort killed her. Thanks for reminding me." Harry said flatly, and left the whole common room silent. He went to his room, and that was that.

x-x-x

That first week was a bit tough. Either everyone was whispering about him and the dementor, or girls were asking him to sign their copies of Witch Weekly. He made sure to keep close to whatever girl friends he had with him at the time, to deter the fanatics. But that wouldn't last long.

Harry was in the library, working on his charms essay before Defense Class when a Ravenclaw approached, with a group of her friends. Harry was sitting at the table with Millie. Millie was working on their first Ancient Runes assignment.

"Hi Harry." The girl said with a bright smile, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Harry saw right through it.

"Ah...hello."

At his expression, her smile faded a bit. "I'm Cho. Cho Chang."

"...You're not in any of my classes..." Harry sort of remembered her. Sort of.

The girl pouted at this. "No. I'm in fourth year. Um...do you think we could hang out at the first Hogsmeade Weekend?"

Harry blinked. "Well, you and your friends are welcome to join us." He motioned to himself and Millie, smiling at the girl's friends. "You see, we've already made plans."

Cho looked to Millie, brows furrowing down. While Cho was rather pretty, and he'd heard other boys talk about her, Harry didn't like her for some reason. And his proof came with the next words she said. "With Bulkstrode? Ah...no. Come on girls, let's go see if Cedric's busy." And then they left.

Harry looked to Millie. The girl looked as though she would cry again. It had been ages since anyone had called her that, but it still hurt like crap.

"Oh honey...shh..." Harry hugged her. "Forget those mean girls. They were just jealous that I'm hanging out with you instead of them."

Millie sniffled. "I-I'm not fat anymore, right? You don't think I'm fat, do you Harry?"

"Of course not, darling. You've got an amazing bod. Come on, let's get you cleaned up a bit and we'll go on to Defense, okay?"

They left the library and went to the girl's loo. Thankfully, it was empty, so Harry could follow her in. He cleaned Millie up a bit, and turned her around so that she was looking in the mirror.

"Look at that face! And those eyes! Any boy would be lucky to get a date with you."

Millie looked down, frowning. "I really don't like any of the guys. It just...hurts when they say that. And...they're so pretty. I can never be like them."

"I'm glad you're not like them."

Millie looked at him in surprise.

"They're just a bunch of bitches that didn't even bother to get to know you." Harry grinned. "Perk up, girl, you're amazing, and don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

They walked arm in arm to Defense class, where the rest of their classmates were waiting. Dean grinned at Harry, coming over to them. "Lupin's not here yet." He looked over at Millie. "What's wrong, Mil? You look like you've been crying."

Harry glared at Dean, and Millie gave Dean a sad smile. "Oh, I'm alright Dean." She glanced over to the Gryffindors. Seamus and Ron were whispering together, while Neville was standing awkwardly alone, looking at the cabinet in front of the classroom. It seemed to be shifting about on it's own.

They saw Hermione approach Neville, and they started talking. For some reason, Neville started to get more and more nervous. Harry went over there, and caught the end of Hermione's little speech. "Boggarts aren't that scary, Neville."

"A boggart, did you say?" Harry cut in, glancing towards Neville. He didn't blame the guy- he was a bit nervous about this too. He didn't want everyone to know his biggest fear. What would it be anyways? A sudden vision of the dementor swam before his eyes. He shivered at the thought.

"Yeah." Neville gulped.

Lupin entered the classroom, and went to the front. As the Professor went past them, Harry staggered slight at the foreign sensation. This man was Dark. Or...something. He felt different, than say Lucius, Severus, or Narcissa. More...wild. It made him nervous. Especially when the man looked so...dowdy. Well...except for those scars. And those amber eyes... Harry's mind was blown. Lupin was a werewolf!

He took a step back, earning a Look from the man. Harry took a step in front of Millie protectively, and the girl looked at him a bit confusedly. Harry shook his head slightly, and Lupin spoke.

"Welcome to your Defense Against the Dark Arts Class! Today, we will be working with a Boggart! Now, can anyone tell me what a Boggart is?"

Hermione, of course, offered the textbook explanation for the creature. Lupin called Neville forth, and spoke to the boy quietly. Neville gave a slight nod, looking determined.

"Alright, and the incantation is riddikulus!" Lupin called out.

And then out came Severus. In a dress. Everyone began to laugh, and Harry stared with wide eyes, as though everything had turned on it's head. Everyone formed a line, and took their turns. People were scared of mummies, spiders, clowns, and they transformed into funny things like balloons, confettii, and whatnot- Hermione's fear was McGonagall telling her she'd failed all of her classes, while Millie was scared of her Mother. Everyone laughed as her makeup transformed her into a clown wearing a ridiculous get up. For Draco, there was an extremely large snake that had the entire classroom screaming. No one was laughing at that.

After that happened, the class was dismissed, and the Boggart was locked away. Everyone left the classroom quickly, and Harry hung behind, looking at Lupin. Lupin looked back at him, but not like Lockhart had, or Quirrel had. No...this was different.

Harry went straight to Severus afterwards, not caring if the man had a class with the fifth years. Snape took one look at him, and spoke to his class. "All of you open your texts and start collecting the ingredients for the first potion there. I will be back momentarily." He sneered, and narrowed his eyes at the Gryffindors. "If I find that any of you not do as you are told, there _will_ be consequences."

Severus led Harry to his office, and as soon as the door was closed and Harry knew the silencing charms were up, he yelled. "Lupin is a werewolf!"

Severus scowled. "Yes. He is. I was going to tell you as soon as we could talk, but..."

"Yeah. First week back and all." Harry muttered, frowning. "So...what do we do?"

"Nothing. Lupin is Dumbledore's pet werewolf, and until we have proof that the man is dangerous to the students or that he's providing help to Black, then...well, he stays here."

"You think Lupin is here for a reason?"

"Most likely. Dumbledore wouldn't have Lupin come here all the way from America from nothing. It is...probably his misguided way of making sure you are protected."

Harry shook his head at this. "Whatever. I need to get to class."

x-x-x

Harry made sure to never be alone with Professor Lupin, and made sure to keep an eye on him whenever he could. The man kept to himself, mostly, but he was actually a pretty good teacher. The students liked him, and he was rather funny. Harry would never let his guard down, though, not after what had happened the previous year.

Classes were coming along well. As Kettleburn retired, it turned out that Hagrid was teaching Care of Magical Creatures class this year. Harry actually was having fun in the class. Ancient Runes was cool too, although it was a lot of reading and memorization at this point. According to the older students, none of the fun stuff would start happening until Fifth year with the OWL classes. Still, it all seemed pretty useful skills to have.

The other staff, like McGonagall, Flitwick, Madam Pomfrey, and Sprout, were all treating Harry carefully, making Harry painfully aware that they knew what Lockhart had done to him. He hated that they knew, but he couldn't do anything about it. He just had to keep his nose clean, and make sure he stayed out of trouble.

It was hard, though, when he wanted to bash Draco's face in all the time. Severus had been right- there was a bit of division this year. People were trying to assert their power, and it wasn't just Draco. Pansy was too. It seemed as though the girl had started talking with Vania over the summer, and had Daphne and Tracey following her around because of her sudden good looks and sudden popularity among Slytherin House. Vania had 'requested' that he not be there when the first years had been tested. And he just knew by Pansy's smirk that she'd been wearing that she had been his replacement. Whatever. He could tell Flint wasn't happy about this at all, but the boy was concentrating on his NEWTS this year, and training for his final year of Quidditch. He was also planning an extravagant wedding, and on top of all this, He and Harry still sparred occasionally.

Harry didn't like this division at all. Severus had been right. He could see it was killing Millie to be excluded from the girl's conversations. Still, Harry had the AKDA meetings, and was trying his best to push everyone further. Colin and Ginny were trying their best to keep up with everyone else- they had missed out a lot the previous year. But they were doing alright. Luna, Neville, and the twins were growing by leaps and bounds.

With most of the Slytherins gone, they were actually pushing through spells and such much faster than before. It helped to not have Draco complaining all the time. Dean had always been the most physical out of the group, and it was starting to show. He was bulking up, and the girls around the school had started to notice. Dean had asked Hannah out for Hogsmeade, and Susan wasn't at all put out by it. She'd have her chance, she was sure of it.

x-x-x

Harry was brushing his hair out, sitting at his dressing table when there was a knock at his door. "Come in!" He called out gaily. He grinned as he saw Millie enter his room. She was wearing some muggle clothes she'd borrowed from him.

"How do I look?" She asked nervously. She was wearing some of the girl's denims he'd bought, although the sweater she was wearing was nearly long enough to be a dress. She looked rather cute, actually. The denims were dark, and the sweater was a dark purple. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

Harry smiled. "You look great!" He set his hairbrush down, and grabbed the holster for his dagger. Millie moved to stand beside him, watching him put the holster on. He was wearing trousers and a short sleeve shirt at this point, and he would be wearing a sweater soon. Her eyes fell on the dagger that sat on his dressing table, and her eyes widened.

"That's not the dagger that you usually use." She said quietly, and Harry picked it up, and slid it into the holster. He didn't say anything, watching her put things together. "That's the Prince Crest. But..." She furrowed a brow. "But the Malfoys adopted you, not Professor Snape."

Harry pulled on his cardigan. "That's right." He buttoned a few of the buttons. "You have your permission form?"

"...Of course I do, but...Harry, why do you have Professor Snape's Dagger?" She whispered.

"Can we talk about this later, Mil?" He asked, going to the door. She grabbed his arm, frowning. Harry looked at her in surprise.

"No. This is serious stuff, Harry. Did he give you that Dagger?"

Harry sighed. "Millie...I know what it means. Severus...for him, it's more of a protection thing. For me. To keep me out of trouble."

"But...Harry, Claiming is a serious business..." She said quietly, looking rather nervous.

"I know." Harry paused. "Which is why you can't tell anyone. Only Dean knows, out of all of you guys, so you have to swear to keep it to yourself."

"...Of course! You know I won't ever, ever tell any of your secrets." Millie said with wide eyes. Harry took her hand into his.

"I know you won't." Harry said softly, kissing her forehead. "Mil?"

"Uh huh?" She breathed, blushing slightly. Even if she knew Harry was gay, and a boy, he was still a pretty person.

"Would you like to go out with me?"

"But...you're...you don't like girls."

Harry hugged her tightly. "It buys us time. You don't like boys, I don't like girls, right? So it keeps our respective guardians off of our backs for a while, and no one can make speculations."

Millie blushed furiously, shoving Harry away from her. "How did you know- I mean, what? I'm not- _gay_." She whispered this last word. Harry only smiled, and wrapped his arm around her.

"It'll be our little secret." He winked at her. "Come on darling, we have Hogsmeade to go to!"

"But...what about...the Professor..." She was clearly flustered. How had Harry known she liked girls? Was it that obvious? She wasn't even sure yet...

"He likes you. It's okay."

"He...does?" Millie sounded confused. Professor Snape didn't like anyone!

"Yeah. Says you have spunk." Harry tugged her out the door by her hand, making a shushing motion.

* * *

Oh, and I'm _this_ close to hitting 100K in hits for this story. Just saying. That will make it the third story I've written with over 100K in hits. Whoooo celebration!

I have another one that I've written- Forbidden Fates:A Tale of Four Friends, that is sitting at 95K in hits...if I got just a_ little_ bit more... I'd have four stories with over a 100K! It'll make you laugh, cry, maybe even both at the same time! It's centered around Harry, of course, and there is slash, het, and poly in it- He's paired with Neville, Luna, and Draco. There are some BDSM elements to it, and I've had a few complaints about Neville being so 'mean', but...really? I warned everyone. :P

Holly, of course, is currently over 185K in hits, which is kind of funny because it is one of my newer stories. I guess you guys really like transgendered!Harry

You know what's really sad, though? An Unstoppable Force has over 71_ thousand_ hits, but only 60 reviews. **60!** C'mon what's up with that? It's a Harry/Luna graphic BDSM story, with Luna as the Top, to change things up a bit. It also happens to be complete, and Harry happens to sub to some guys too. I'm not complaining, but that story was over 85 thousand words, and I worked hard on it. It also happened to be posted all at once, so...maybe that's why there was a dearth of reviews? :P

I'm just mentioning all of this because some of you asked if I had anything else. Check out my profile, yo. XD


	23. Chapter 23

Love In the Dark

* * *

Thanks everyone, for the reviews. All of you are awesome. I had a busy weekend- I went to my brother's first art show opening, where he won second place! Of course, I had to brag and shove it in his face that I won first place at my last show...haha, I love being the older sister. I then spent the rest of the weekend crocheting and spending time with my awesome girlfriend and boyfriend. Het Stuff happens in the chapter. Yeah, seriously. :)

x-x-x

Harry made sure not to stray too far from Millie during their Hogsmeade outing, and made sure to be seen kissing her cheek and such as well. Let people say what they want, and it would buy them some time. They hung out with the rest of their friends- they had looked at the two of them a bit strangely when Harry said that he and Millie were going out, but they didn't question it.

By the end of the day, the gossip mill was in full swing, and Harry and Millie were officially dating. Harry hadn't counted on all of the girls glaring hatefully at his friend, but Millie would be able to handle herself, right?

That evening, the two of them were in Harry's room, talking about the trip.

"I really liked Zonko's." Millie said with a grin. "It looked like the twins were buying a ton of stuff from them. Wonder where they got that money."

Harry gave a slight shrug, sitting at his dressing table. "So, how did you like our first date?"

Millie didn't answer. Harry turned slightly, and looked at the girl who was sitting on his bed. She was frowning slightly. "Harry...you're gay. You don't like me that way. You treated me just like you always do. That...wasn't a date."

"But...you had fun, right?"

"Well...yeah."

"And it looks like to others that we went out on a date, right? And your Mother will be ridiculously happy about this, correct?"

"Of course." The girl mumbled. "But..." She shook her head. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean...Professor Snape...Claimed you. Why?"

Harry turned back around, fiddling with his brush. "Well...it's sort of a protection thing. At this point."

"At this point. So...he wants you? In the future?"

"What do you know about Claiming anyways?"

Millie blushed slightly at this. "Mother told me...when she was upset, once, that since I'm so unmarriageable, I might have to be Claimed instead."

"Is Claiming such a bad thing?"

"...Claiming...for girls, anyways, signifies that you're a plaything, a pet, not even worth marrying. Especially if the man is already married. When...when did this happen?"

"First year." Harry said, trying to keep his anger at bay. Lady Bulstode was such a Bitch to her daughter. He didn't think Claiming was such a bad thing at all.

"...First year? But...Professor Snape...he isn't like that, right? He's not into...um, people our age?"

"No! He's been very gentlemanly. He's mostly been teaching me things about dueling, protecting myself- he's also been helping me navigate politics."

"...The Malfoys have to know."

Harry gave her a slight nod. "However, because of the way Draco reacted, I don't think he understands the ramifications at this point."

"So...you and Snape haven't..."

Harry gave her a rueful smile in the reflection of his mirror. "No. I want to, but he won't let me." He made a show of pouting.

Millie giggled at this. "Really? But...he's so much older."

Harry gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. He turned around in his chair again. "So, what about you? Any girls you've got your eye on?"

Millie blushed furiously. "How did you even know?"

Harry laughed. "A lot of reasons. It's definitely not obvious enough for the others to notice, but I did. So...who? Hermione? Ginny?"

"Uh, well, um...I don't know..." Millie fumbled. "Hermione's pretty... Ginny's nice, though."

Harry got up from his chair, and sat next to Millie on the bed. He hugged her with a smile. "Well, us going out will give us both a bit of time. I mean, people are already noticing that I'm not exactly..."

"Mannish?"

"I suppose you could put it that way. If you...do ever get interested in a girl that way for real, we can work something out."

"Harry, do you think...that you could..." Millie squirmed at this. "That we could kiss? For practice? I mean, on the lips? It's just...people might expect it?"

Harry stared at her for a long moment, as if studying her.

He smiled, and moved a bit closer. "Alright."

"...okay."

Harry leant forward, and kissed the girl gently. It was an entirely different experience than all of the men he'd kissed over the years- she was much...softer, in a way. He applied a bit more pressure, and she reacted. She tilted her head, and pushed back. Harry wrapped an arm around her waist loosely, and he could feel her trembling. Hmm. What was more, he could feel her power. It was slow in coming out, but it was there. It was small, at first, but it grew in the time that they kissed, like it was blossoming. It had an entirely different feel than Lucius' or Narcissa's magic, but it was still there.

He did like kissing Millie, surprisingly. Everything was...different. It wasn't overwhelming or anything, but...nice. This wouldn't be a chore, that was certain. Their eyes met, and Millie gave him the smallest of smiles. Her lips were slightly pinked, and that glassy look was good on her. "Can...can we try that again?" She whispered.

Harry nodded, and held her a bit tighter to himself. He used his other hand to cup her cheek, and they kissed once more. After a bit, they stared at each other, and smiled.

"You know...I think you're going to be my exception." Harry began.

"Your..exception?" Millie breathed.

Harry grinned widely, and pecked her lips again. "I like kissing you. Better than...well, better than a lot of boys I've kissed."

Millie bit her lip as Harry turned her head slowly, kissing her neck. "You've kissed...a lot of boys?"

"Oh yes." Harry murmured. She smelled sweet, like lavender, so unlike the others. And her skin was so soft!

"What...what was it like?"

"Well...sort of like this, but...you're softer. Gentler. I like it. It's different."

"...I like it too." Millie's breath hitched as he nipped at her throat. "I wish you were a girl..." Her eyes fell to his flat chest. "You're very pretty."

Harry pulled away, their gazes meeting. She looked sad, for some reason.

"It's just...you're...more...feminine than other guys. I...I've always liked that about you. You're the reason why I started looking at girls in the first place. I mean..." She stammered, obvious nervous and unable to find the right words.

"That means...I'm just your exception too." Harry said with a grin, kissing her again. "That means we will have fun, and see where this goes. No pressure."

"...Okay." Millie breathed. She stood up, looking a bit unsteady, and tugged at her shirt. "I...I should probably get back to my room. Good night Harry."

He gave her a nod, and the girl left.

x-x-x

The next day, Harry woke with a smile for the first time in a while. He had been surprised, the previous evening. He had planned on him and Millie having to pretend with everything, but...he honestly thought they could work. Sure, they were good friends, and probably would become very, very close because of this, but... maybe this was what he needed.

After Lockhart and...everything, maybe he needed a break from guys. Oh yeah, he was still crazy about Severus, and nothing would change that. But...Millie's affection offered him something different. Comfort, someone to hold onto. And he liked it. It didn't hurt that she already knew about Severus, and...maybe... he sat up, looking at his dresser. Maybe she would like to see him dressed up.

He would really like that. Wearing such things wasn't as fun when you had to keep it a secret, when it felt like it was something shameful to hide. He got out of bed, thinking about the day. The news about him and Millie would undoubtedly get to the papers soon, and they would have to deal with her parents. Lord Bulstrode was a great man, but Harry had the impression that nothing could be pulled over on him. And Lady Bulstrode would be so deliriously happy at Millie finding such a good boyfriend that she would lay off on her daughter for a while. Hopefully.

Maybe this would be good for the both of them. Maybe they could really make a go of this.

He met his housemates in the common room, both he and Millie smiling like mad as they saw each other. They hugged, and started giggling. "Come on, darling, let's go to breakfast!"

"What the fuck, Potter, none of the other girls would have you, so you went after Bulkstrode?" Draco hissed at them as he passed.

Harry scowled at the blonde, and flicked his wand at Draco, making him trip and fall flat on his face. Millie smiled at this.

Harry and Millie were quiet as they headed to the Great Hall. Everyone's voices quieted suddenly as they entered the room. Harry and Millie ignored them, and sat together at the table.

x-x-x

The following day, Millie got a letter from her parents. She was looking like she wanted to laugh at it all- Her Mother was very, very happy about their new relationship, and was asking if Harry wanted to come visit during the holidays, even though it wasn't even October yet.

Aiden wasn't as enthusiastic, but he did wish the best for the two of them. Harry got the impression from his words that he might have known what was going on between them. Millie didn't notice this exact wording, but Harry had. At least her Father was alright with it. It may have been the fact that Harry wouldn't hurt Millie like other boys could.

x-x-x

September turned into October, and Harry and Millie continued to go out. Dean was sort of dating both Hannah and Susan, as the girls were taking turns. It was rather funny, but the three of them didn't seem to mind it. Dean certainly didn't. It seemed as though snogging and lots and lots of chocolate were the only things to keep the dementors at bay. The horrible things were still at the school, because the Minister was an idiot.

Still, Harry and Millie were in Harry's room, and Harry was trying on an outfit for Millie. He was wearing a cute white sundress with white socks and black shoes. Millie couldn't resist snogging him as soon as he put the dress on. Harry wasn't complaining. She was half on top of him, pinning his arms back and snogging him, and Harry let her.

He was rather surprised at Millie sometimes. The girl seemed so quiet and shy, but once he'd seen her 'secret' sketchbook, well...he couldn't resist teasing her. She loved to watch him put on makeup, and loved to watch him walk around in his girly clothes. And Harry liked her watching.

For the first time in a long time, he felt sexy. It was too bad that he couldn't get away with wearing these sorts of things out, confined to wearing knickers and such in secret. Harry wanted to dress Millie up too, but she refused to be 'tarted up like her Mother'.

Harry reached up, touching her chest. "You're getting quite the rack there, Mil." He breathed into her ear.

"Harry?" Millie asked, shying away from his touch for the moment. "When you dress like this...you look so much like a girl. You even move like one, speak like one. And then..." She glanced down. Harry's skirt was tented slightly. Harry was finally able to get hard again, but he could see why she would be nervous.

Harry sighed, and sat up on his bed. "I know." He arranged his skirt, hiding it. "I'm not...a girl. I'm sorry, Mil."

"Do you want to be a girl?" She asked, for what seemed the millionth time.

Harry shook his head, grinning a bit. "Nope. I might like to dress like one and stuff...but I like my cock."

Millie giggled, her face going red. "Harry!"

"No, I'm serious."

She poked at his chest. "But...what about breasts? You don't have any, so you can't fill out your tops and dresses properly."

Harry made a face at this. "I know. But..."

"You still look pretty, though." Millie pecked his cheek. "I think it's funny that you're so much girlier than me." She glanced towards her discarded drawing things. "Mind posing for me again?"

Harry grinned, batting his eyelashes at her coquettishly.

x-x-x

Dean didn't corner Harry until shortly before the Halloween Feast. Dean had caught him and Millie making out. Millie ran off to the Great Hall, while Harry knew to stay put.

"What?"

Dean just crossed his arms, giving a Look to Harry. "What in the hell are you doing?"

"We were just kissing."

Dean raised a brow.

"Alright, we were kissing a lot."

"I thought you only went for guys."

Harry blushed, glancing around. "Millie is my exception. She's...different."

"Why?"

Harry pulled Dean into a nearby empty room. "Well, she likes girls, for one thing."

Dean grinned at this. "I knew it! And because you're so girly, she naturally likes you too."

"Shut up." Harry shoved Dean's shoulder. He sighed, looking down. "We have a lot of fun. And...I do like kissing her, but I know I don't love her. Like that, I mean. She knows that too. We've become really, really close, though."

Dean's smile turned sad. "I know. You two are kind of cute together. I'm sorry I haven't been around lately, what with..."

"Susan and Hannah? Those girls are always chasing after you." Harry waggled his brows. "Will there be a threesome in your near future?"

"Harry!" Dean shoved Harry playfully. "It's not anything serious. Believe me. Su and Hannah are just friends. Really, really good friends." He said roguishly. His smile faded. "And while the girls are fun, I don't think it'll turn into anything lasting. So, Malfoy still giving you a hard time?"

Harry sighed roughly. "Yeah."

"I'll have to teach him a lesson next week when the Dueling competition starts up."

"Oh yeah, that's next week!"

"Just the first round. I might not even get to duel him. You dueling?"

"No." Harry shook his head quickly. "But I will there, cheering you on."

"You better be. C'mon, we're missing the Feast."

x-x-x

Later on that evening, after the Feast, Harry was just getting dressed for the night when someone banged on his door. Harry grabbed his dressing robe and opened the door. Marcus stood there, looking panicked. He looked around Harry's room quickly.

"You okay?"

"Uh...yeah. What's going on?"

"Black was in the castle. He slashed the portrait that was guarding Gryffindor tower. We're having everyone sleep in the Great Hall tonight while all the dorms are searched."

Harry blanched. He flicked his wand at some of his darker books, hiding them underneath his bed, and with another flick, some of his makeup and clothes put themselves away. Hopefully they wouldn't search his room too hard, or that it would only be Severus doing it. Unlikely, though.

"Alright." Harry murmured, and followed Marcus down the hall. All of the other students were leaving their dorms, looking panicked and whispering to each other. Almost all of them were already dressed in their pajamas, except for some of the older students. Harry grabbed Millie's arm as everyone crammed together in the common room, filing out. Severus was by the portrait door, along with Professor Vector. Harry caught Severus' eye as they headed out, and the man gave him a slight nod. Things would be just fine.

Within the hour, all of the students were in the Great Hall. The tables had been set aside, freeing up the floor for everyone and their sleeping bags. Boys and girls were split up seperately, which meant Harry couldn't sit with most of his friends, except for Dean and Neville. Harry was sitting next to the Gryffindor boys. Ron and Seamus were making fun of Harry's pajamas, while Dean and Neville were playing Gobstones.

Harry glanced back at the Slytherin boys, who were sitting on the other side of him. Theo glanced his way, and gave him a small smile, only to be nudged by Draco. Theo glanced away at this, frowning.

Harry sighed roughly, and looked across the isle at the girls' side. Millie was over there talking with Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Hannah, and all of them were laughing and having a good time. It was no fair. He pouted, and Millie caught his eye. She waved, and all the girls looked over at him, bursting into giggles. Ah, they had been talking about him, then. Harry smirked, blowing them a kiss.

Millie blushed furiously, while the other girls whispered at her.

"Ugh, your troll girlfriend is looking over here, Potter." Ron muttered.

Harry glared at him. "At least I have a girlfriend, Weasley." He snapped. "And Millie is pretty." He added, for good measure. "Better than anything you'll ever get."

Seamus laughed at this, and Dean gave Harry a smirk.

Harry caught a paper airplane that the girls flew over to their side with one hand, and opened it.

_Nice pajamas._

Harry blushed furiously, tightening the sash on his dressing robe. He was wearing a purple nightshirt, with matching flowered pajama pants. His dressing robe was still the same one he had from first year. He definitely stood out on the boy's side. He made a face at the girls.

The doors opened, and Harry saw Severus and Vector return, shaking their heads at Flitwick and Babbling. McGonagall, Sprout, and the other staff members were still searching, but Harry knew that Black was long gone, wherever he was.

x-x-x

Yay! What did you guys think of the chapter? Unexpected, no? Alright, so some of you were like- oh, Harry and Millie are gay, that's cool. The thing is, they're still kind of young, and knowing how Harry is, he has to experiment a little. Who better than someone his best girl friend? It's obviously nothing serious between them. So don't flame me. I don't know at this point how long their relationship will last, but I do know I could take this a lot of ways.

After all, they're both from older families, and not many would approve of Millie being with another woman openly. And not many would approve of Harry being with Severus openly either. So...in your opinion, should they continue their 'relationship' and hide whatever other pursuits they have on the side? Or should they break up publicly later on in the story, and pursue their loves openly. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading guys, please review!


	24. Chapter 24

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry blocked Millie's jab, grinning. "Come on, girl, you can do better than that!" He teased.

Millie stuck her tongue out at him, and tried to strike again. He, Millie, and Dean were in their training room, first thing on a saturday morning. Later on that day would be the first day of the tournament, and Dean and Millie needed to warm up. Both of them were planning on participating.

Dean was wrapping his hands off to the sideline, watching them carefully.

"Mil, the left." Dean called out, and Harry rolled his eyes, avoiding the strike.

"Don't help her!"

Millie laughed, shielding herself from a hex that Harry sent off. It bounced harmlessly off of her. The timer went off, and the two of them lowered their wands. They had been fighting with both magic and physically, something that most girls wouldn't try to do while dueling.

"Good fight, Mil." Harry said, breathing. "You up for the challenge today?"

"Oh yeah." Millie said with a grin. She looked over at Dean. "You nervous?"

"Pssh, no." Dean flexed his hand, smirking.

Harry and Millie cleaned themselves up a bit, while Dean stretched a bit more. Nerves continued to be pretty high as the three of them headed out of the castle, and onto the quidditch pitch. The duels would be taking place on the pitch, and observers would be in the stands. Today, the first, second, and third years would be dueling.

There were three platforms, and three different duels would be going on at once. When it came to the final pair for each year, they would duel on their own, so everyone could watch them. The first year's duels weren't much- a simple disarming, and it was all over for them.

Harry was on the ground, along with the other competitors. He wasn't...supposed to be there, but he managed to sneak in, carrying Dean's cloak for him. It was a cloudy and blustery day- it would start snowing soon, Harry thought.

Flitwick was watching the third years, Severus with the second years, and Lupin for the first years. Harry watched the duels carefully. Some went longer than others, but the first year's winner had been decided relatively quickly in comparison to the second year's. For the second years, the last duel had been down to Luna and Ginny. Harry wasn't surprised, really. He could tell that a lot of boys, especially the Slytherin boys, were terribly angry that two pureblood girls had managed to outduel them.

Millie squeezed his hand tightly all through the match, while Dean was cheering both girls on. It was a good fight, much better than the other second years. In the end, Ginny had won, but only just. Harry could tell the two of them had been trying their hardest, and he would have to reward them at their next AKDA meeting.

The third years continued their duels. It was taking a lot longer than expected, really. Susan and Hannah held out pretty strongly, but the two of them lost to Draco and Blaise in the end. Hermione was doing terrific, as were Dean and Millie. Draco, Millie, Dean, and Hermione were clearly the best out of all the duelists that participated.

Draco and Dean got paired for their duel, while Hermione and Millie got paired up for their duel. Harry was a bit nervous now. He wanted all of them to win, but at the same time...he didn't know who to root for. He saw more than one person look his way inquiringly, as it was clear that he was not participating.

The girls waited next to him while Draco and Dean stood on the platform. The rest of their yearmates whispered and pointed at the two. It was no secret that both boys were in the dueling circuit during the summer holidays, and both had won. Harry was curious as to who would win. Draco was a competent dueler, but Dean was no slouch either.

Millie gripped his arm tightly, holding her breath as the duel finally began. Hermione gasped as Draco was sumersaulted through the air at Dean's first spell, wand dislodging from his hand. He landed hard, face first, unmoving.

Everyone was silent, in shock. It was over, already?

Draco groaned, slowly rolling onto his side, holding his arm.

Flitwick started to count. "1...2...3...4..."

Draco slowly stood before the Professor could call ten, grabbing his wand. Dean was ready for him. As soon as he stood, Dean cast another curse, this time, Draco managed to dodge it. Harry could tell Draco's arm was injured, and the boy was furious. Draco flicked his wand quickly, healing it with a loud crack, while he dodged another spell.

Harry couldn't help but be impressed. Doing a healing spell was rather advanced, and to do it while dodging at the same time? That was...kind of amazing. The wind picked up around them, and Harry's hand nearly went numb at the tightness of Millie's grip.

The two boys drew together, and Harry knew what was going to happen before the split second it actually did happen. Dean gouged his wand into Draco's arm, the same one that had been injured, and quickly punched him in the side. Draco doubled, but as he did so, he took Dean down with him, wand at his head.

The duel was over. Draco had won. The two boys were staring at each other with a wild look in their eyes.

Harry was the first to start clapping.

Dean and Draco hobbled off the stage, to go to Madam Pomfrey. He looked to Hermione and Mille with a smile.

"Whoever wins, I'm proud of both of you." He hugged them both at the same time. He pulled away, and Millie and Hermione exchanged a look.

"We'll have to duel Draco, whichever one of us wins." She said hesitantly.

Hermione looked a bit worried at this, but then smiled. "Well, let's hope Madam Pomfrey will be handy then."

Both girls were smiling as they got on the platform. And then they began to duel.

Harry was reminded that the two of them were often paired together during the AKDA meetings, and it showed. He wondered if the other professors could tell if the girls were used to dueling each other. Each weak spot was discovered straight away, every step was read, every tactic was responded with another one.

It was an impressive duel. It went on longer for the boy's. Dean went to Harry's side, and spoke quietly.

"They're doing a good job. Look at everyone else."

Harry glanced around, and saw that many people there looked impressed, even some of the adults that came to the school to observe. He looked back as he saw a flash on the platform. Hermione's hex had narrowly missed Millie. Millie dodged it with finesse.

Harry found himself grinning as the two girls pushed it just a bit further, the spells getting faster and faster. He glanced over at Severus and Lupin, and saw that the men were watching with wide eyes. Even Dumbledore, who was standing next to Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall looked very impressed. He saw Draco scowling at the two girls, holding his arm. Pomfrey was shaking her head, looking rather dismayed for some reason.

Had Draco healed his arm incorrectly?

Harry was distracted once more as Hermione managed to disarm Millie. The two girls stared at each other for a long moment. Millie made no move to regain her wand.

Before Flitwick could count to ten, the girls approached each other, and shook hands, smiling.

Harry found himself grinning and clapping. That had been a fantastic duel. As the two girls left the platform, their female yearmates crowded around them, offering their congratulations. Harry hugged them both.

Hermione looked terribly nervous. "Now I'm going to go up against Malfoy."

"Don't worry darling, he's already injured..." Harry murmured. He glanced over to see Flitwick talking to Madam Pomfrey and Draco. Draco looked pissed off. Flitwick seemed to nod, and then went to the middle of the platform.

He spoke up, his voice loud. "Draco Malfoy is unable to duel, due to his injury. The winner is Hermione Granger!"

Hermione looked as though she was in shock. Everyone mobbed around her, and all the Gryffindors watching in the stands roared.

x-x-x

Harry was in a good mood as he walked down to the dungeons with all the other Slytherins. Unfortunately, many of the other Slytherins were in not as good moods. Not only did they lose, they lost to a muggleborn _girl_. Harry had his arm wrapped around Millie's shoulder, talking excitedly about her and Hermione's duel together.

"Good going, Bulkstrode. You didn't even try to duel the mudblood." An older girl spat at them, looking as though she was going to shove Millie.

"Hey!" Harry growled. "Hermione is our friend. And watch your mouth."

"Yeah, you trained Granger didn't you?" Zabini snarled. "Just like you trained your whore." He spat.

The Slytherins surrounding them went deadly silent, and Harry lunged forward, grabbing Zabini by the throat. "What the fuck did you just say?" Harry said, his voice flat and deadly. The various trinkets and things in the nearby shelves began to tremble. The smarter students began to back away.

Zabini stared at him through narrowed eyes. "Yeah, you heard me. And you didn't even try to duel, you get your blood traitor whore to do your fighting for you? What? Are you scared, Potter?"

Harry shoved the boy back, hands shaking. "Fine. You want to duel? We'll duel. Honor duel. You don't fucking call Millie or Hermione that and get away with it." Harry snarled.

"Harry, no..." Millie said, looking frightened.

People gave them a wider berth. "I trained you, Zabini. Remember that." Harry said, his voice still flat.

"I was training in the sword long before you came to the wizarding world, Potter." Zabini muttered. "Your filthy muggle blood doesn't belong here. My Mother was right!"

He drew his dagger. "Get your fucking dagger out, Potter, I know you have one."

Harry drew his dagger out. In moments, the two boys lunged, circling each other, looking for a weakness.

Harry swiped at Zabini, making the other boy take a step back. "And I was training with knives long before I came to the wizarding world, Blaise. _Noble_ wizards aren't the only ones who know how to kill."

"Like you could do that." Zabini scoffed, taking another step back,

Harry smirked, kicking the boy in the chest, and straddled him. Harry grabbed the boy's wrist, to keep the dagger in his face from getting any closer. He twisted the boy's arm, but Zabini didn't let go.

"I have." Harry whispered, eyes bright. "And I will do it again too, if I need to. Watch me."

Zabini's eyes widened in terror as Harry's dagger cut into his cheek. "What the...get off of me!"

"You're not disarmed, Blaise, this duel isn't over..." Harry purred. The whole room was silent, everyone was watching in horror at the two boys. No one could interfere- it was an honor duel. The only one there who could interfere was Millie, as it was her honor in question. Some people glanced towards her expectantly, but she said nothing.

Blaise tried to let go of his dagger, but his wrist was gripped so tight that he couldn't move. It felt like it was about to break.

"Okay!" He cried, tears coming to his eyes. "Okay, okay, I surrender!"

Harry let go of Blaise's arm, and the boy dropped his dagger. Harry got off of him, and stood, looking completely calm. He glanced around at all the shocked faces.

"Do any of you have anything else to say about my friends and I?"

No one made a sound.

Harry smiled sweetly. "Very well then." He looked down at Blaise. "Blaise...I trained you. You should know better."

Blaise stood slowly, looking very shaken. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things." He bowed slightly to Harry. Blaise then looked to Millie. "And I'm sorry Millicent. I should have never called you that."

He then looked to Harry, whose face was still completely blank. He bowed again, still looking scared. "I was angry and upset. Draco should have been allowed to duel. Draco could have won against Granger."

"Perhaps. But perhaps not." Harry looked over the crowd. "Perhaps it is time for all of you to think about what makes someone powerful. Tom Riddle, or Voldemort" everyone flinched at this. "Was a half blood. Our own Head of House, Severus Snape, is a half-blood. Flitwick isn't even fully human. I am a half blood. What does that tell you?"

He looked to Millie, extending his hand to her. "Come Millie."

The Millie looked down shyly, and took Harry's hand. She followed him out of the common room. Then, and only then, did everyone else explode into action. Marcus was furious at this- there hadn't been an honor duel in years, especcially between two Slytherins. Harry could have killed Zabini, and everyone knew it. Everyone knew Harry was dangerous.

Vania looked terrified. Marcus fixed her with a look. "See what you did? I told you shutting Potter out was a bad idea. Parkinson is a twit. We don't need this shit, Vania. I'm leaving this year, and we can't have this shit happening when I'm gone! Potter will be you-know-what next year." He hissed this last part at her, so no one else could hear.

"But... I thought..."

"You thought wrong!" Marcus said furiously. He left her, and approache Blaise, who was clutching his bleeding cheek now.  
He flicked his wand brusquely, healing the cut.

"That will do. It'll scar, but I think you deserve it. It's a warning to all of us. Remember that." Marcus said, speaking to everyone gathered there. "Just because someone does not assert their power does not mean they are weak. Every single one of you underestimated him. I do hope that you won't be doing that ever again. Figure out where your loyalties lie, and better hope to Mordred that none of you face the wrath of Harry Potter."

x-x-x

In Harry's room, Harry was sitting on his bed, with Millie's head in his lap. The girl was lying there, thinking about things. He was stroking her hair. She was already out of her robes, and she just wore her school skirt and blouse. Her shirt was untucked, and her tie undone- her Mother would have a fit if she saw her.

"He was scared of you. I could see it."

"I know." Harry whispered.

She turned her head, looking up at him. She could tell he was upset. "You were amazing." She murmured.

His eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

She sat up, and hugged him tightly. She kissed his cheek. "You could have just hexed him and be done with it, but no, you made a point. You...made sure no one would ever forget." She stroked his cheek lightly. "You made sure no one will underestimate you."

Harry shook his head slowly. "I shouldn't have. I...should have kept it under wraps..."

She shut him up with a kiss. "No!" She said, grin widening. "No, it was perfect. No one will try to take your position in the House ever again."

"...But...they'll tell. The teachers will..."

Millie shook her head quickly. "No they won't. No one will breathe a word." She kissed him again. Harry let her, feeling a bit lost.  
She held him tightly to her, smiling. She looked into his eyes. "You're scared...aren't you?"

He turned his head slightly, looking away. Millie moved it back so that their eyes could meet. "Harry...there is no reason to be scared. You're powerful. I know you are. Everyone in our study group knows you are. And now our Housemates know."

"I...I hurt him, Mil."

"I know." She crooned, kissing his forehead. "But it was needed. To make a point. You could have killed him, you could have injured him permanently...but you didn't. Everyone knew you could, but you didn't." She whispered. "Harry, that takes strength not many have. There are lots of people who have power that take advantage of it. Believe me, I've heard all sorts of stories." She said this last with a sad smile. "Kiss me. Let's distract each other for a while."

x-x-x

The following day, the common room was silent when Harry walked in. Millie stood as he entered, and Harry noticed the changes immeadiately. Daphne, Tracey, and Pansy were at her side, and not ignoring her like they had so far this year. Next to them stood Theo, Vincent, Greg, and Blaise. Blaise had a small scar on his right cheekbone, where Harry had cut him. He looked a bit nervous, but not scared.

He could see the other Slytherins glancing their way, silent, but curious, older and younger students alike.

Harry approached them, a slow smile on his face. "Ready for breakfast everyone?"

Everyone seemed to relax at this. Millie's smile widened, and she accepted Harry's outstretched arm. The two of them led the small group of third years out of the common room.

No one spoke on their way to the Great Hall. Harry knew the others were a bit nervous. He was still a bit angry at them abandoning him and Mil, but he knew it was just...Slytherin politics at work. Now it was just Draco. Draco had been in the hospital wing the previous evening, but he was sure that he would be told what happened. Draco would no longer have power if all of his friends were gone.

Harry slowed as he saw Hermione and Neville walking to the Great Hall. Hermione smiled at him and waved, while Neville looked a bit nervously at all the other Slytherins with them.

"Good morning Hermione, Neville. Congratulations again, Hermione. I expect you lot had a party in the common room last night?"

Hermione grinned at this.

x-x-x

Yay! Two chapters in one day! Go me. Seriously, I just wrote like one after the other, and reading people's reviews in between. Go multi-tasking awesomeness. Yes, I will fix the typo in the previous chapter as soon as I post this. So...stuff happened in this chapter. What do you guys think? Is Harry showing his cards too early, or do think it needed to be done? Honestly, I think it needed to be done. I'm glad you guys are liking the Millie/Harry interactions. I'll try to slip in a little Harry/Sev fluff in the next chapter. Please review! XD


	25. Chapter 25

Love In the Dark

* * *

So, lots and lots happening in this chapter. A bit longer than usual. Hope you can keep up. XD. Thanks for reading!

x-x-x

Harry was sitting in Severus' quarters. He was supposed to be reading one of the man's books, but found himself getting distracted. Severus was sitting at the other end of the loveseat. Harry's legs were lying across the man's lap, and Severus' hand was on one of his bare feet, stroking it absently. Harry shuddered at the man's touch, toes curling at the sensation.

Severus glanced down, hand snapping away as he realised what he'd been doing. He looked at Harry, and Harry grinned. "Yes?" Harry asked innocently, wiggling his toes again.

"You're supposed to be reading."

Harry pouted, looking at his book again.

"Seems like you and Miss Bulstrode are doing rather nicely."

"...yeah." Harry murmured. Their eyes met at this, and Harry felt a little guilty. "...Are you sure you are okay with it?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't okay with it. She came by my office yesterday. You told her?"

"She saw my dagger."

Severus fixed him a look, and Harry smiled guiltily. "What? I knew she wouldn't tell anyone...I figured she should know."

Severus looked back to his book, frowning slightly. "Her...parents have been inquiring about you. Both of them."

"Oh?"

"Lady Bulstrode has been focusing on finding out information on your relationship with her daughter, as well as your financial situation and such."

Harry sighed roughly. "I will assume you told her about my starting to invest in things."

"I did. I told her to talk to Narcissa if she wanted to learn more, as I'm not your babysitter."

Harry snickered at this. "And Lord Bulstrode?"

Severus turned the page in his book, looking thoughtful. "Wanted to know what your hobbies were, what you excelled in in your classes."

"Oh."

"I think he knows that your relationship with his daughter is more about...convenience. The man is far from stupid."

"Is...he okay with that? With us just being..."

"I believe he is. He will most likely talk to you about it when you see them over the holidays."

Harry sighed roughly. "Do I have to go to that stupid ball?"

"Yes. It was a big enough scandal that the Malfoys didn't have their ball last year. There will be talk if they don't have one this year as well."

"...At least I have a date." Harry muttered, poking at Severus' thigh with his toes. He grinned. "Maybe you can be my date one day."

"...Unlikely." Severus said, glancing his way. Yes...them being together publicly just wasn't done. But maybe things could change, Harry thought hopefully.

Harry tilted his head, changing the subject. "How come you never smoke when you're at the school? Aren't you just dying for a cigarette?"

"...No. I don't want to teach children bad habits." Severus gave him a warning look.

"Too late." Harry sing-songed.

Severus glared at him. "You haven't taken up smoking, have you?"

Harry just turned the page in his book. "If you can find a secret place to smoke, so can I." He hummed.

"Where on earth did you get the cigarettes? If I find out you've been sneaking again..."

Harry stuck his tongue out at Severus. "No, I've been bribing Dean. He was more than happy to get cigarettes of his own while he was getting them for me."

Severus could only sigh. "You're already in trouble. You shouldn't be pushing it."

Harry gave him a challenging look. "What, are you going to punish me _Professor_?"

Severus growled in the back of his throat, making Harry blush. Quick as lightning, the man was grabbing Harry's wrist and yanking the boy over his lap.

Harry squawked in surprise as the first smack landed on his bum. He scrambled, clutching the armrest of the sofa. Severus' other hand was on his back, pushing him down so as to keep him still. Harry gasped as another smack landed on his bum.

"I" Smack! "Am" Smack! "Sick" Smack! "And tired-" Smack! "Of You" Smack! "Being" Smack! "A Brat!" Severus growled, and with one last smack, Harry laid there catching his breath.

His eyes were closed, and his heart was pounding. His backside was warm and achey, and he was completely relaxed. Severus' hand slid up his back, to rest on the back of his neck.

"It's not safe, Harry. While you needed to assert your dominance over the House, you should have done it another way." Severus murmured, tilted Harry's face up. The man used his thumb to wipe at Harry's cheek. Had Harry been crying?

"...I'm sorry sir." Harry croaked. He still found himself smiling, however. Only Severus would call him a brat when he nearly killed another boy.

Severus helped him sit up. "You can't let your anger get the best of you. Plan things out first before you act." He sighed roughly. "Like I'm one to talk. Are you okay?"

Harry nodded, snuggling into the man's chest, wrapping his arms around him.

"Well...I can tell you won't be reading tonight."

"Nope." Harry murmured dreamily.

"Alright, it's already after curfew. You should get to bed."

Harry stood, feeling a bit unsteady. Severus helped him up, watching carefully.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Oh, I'm just fine."

"I'll have an elf send you some tea once you get to your room. Tell me if you're still hurting tomorrow."

Harry rolled his eyes, pulling on his cloak. "You worry too much."

"I'm just looking after you."

Harry blew Severus a kiss, and left the man's quarters. He was just outside the man's office, in the corridor, when he bumped into Lupin. Lupin stared at him strangely.

"It's after curfew. What are you doing here?"

Harry held up the book Severus had given him. "Borrowing a book from Professor Snape. You can ask him if you like. The dorms are just down the hallway."

Lupin frowned slightly. "I'll escort you there."

"No!" Harry bit out, taking a step away from the man quickly. "No, I'm good." He walked hurriedly towards the dorms, doing his best to ignore the pain on his backside. He could feel Lupin staring, watching as he went. At least the man hadn't followed.

x-x-x

It was the perfect Hogsmeade outing. It was the last before the holidays, and all of the students were shopping like mad for their last minute gift ideas. Harry had done most of his shopping by owl order, so he was walking along one of the outer streets, with Millie on his arm. They both had hot chocolates in their mittened hands. Luna had given them both mittens for Christmas- early presents, since she wouldn't see them during the holiday. Millie's mittens were navy blue, while Harry's were a light pink. It was kind of funny, actually, so they switched a glove each, so that they alternated colors.

They heard a whine in the alleyway, and the two Slytherins shared a look. "You hear something?" Harry breathed.

Millie drew her wand. "Yes."

Harry drew his own wand, slowly turning around the corner. A dog was rooting through the garbage bin. It was a large black dog, and it was dreadfully skinny.

The dog looked their way, pulling out of the trashcan. It took a step back, looking pitiful and half frozen.

"Oh, the poor thing..." Millie murmured. She knelt down. The dog looked at her cautiously as she went through her pockets. Harry knelt next to her slowly, watching the dog approach them.

Millie pulled out a small cake she'd gotten from Honeydukes. "Here boy...it's not much, but it's all we have right now..."

The dog snarfed it down quickly, tail thumping. It moved a bit closer, sniffing at them. He jumped at Harry, suddenly licking his cheek. Harry wiped the slobber, while Millie giggled. Harry pulled away from the dog slightly, staring into his eyes.

The dog wriggled and squirmed in his grasp, clearly happy.

"He likes you Harry."

"I can't keep him." Harry said with a frown. The dog whined at this sniffing at his neck.

"But look at the poor thing, he's skin and bones, and so sad...oh please Harry..."

Harry stared at the dog, frowning. He stood, and the dog moved away. It whined, and went down the alley way sulkily. Harry sighed, and glanced over at Millie. The girl was pouting. The two of them followed the dog down the alley way. It moved fast, for such a frail thing. The dog barked, going down into the open cellar of honeydukes. The two of them followed the dog in. Millie cried. "Bad dog, stealing candy from Mr. Honeydukes-" She gasped as a dirty hand grabbed her by the throat.

Harry's wand was at the man's head in a flash.

Sirius Black.

"Let go of her." Harry growled.

The man did just that, holding his hands up. The three of them stood in the crowded storage room under Honeyduke's. They could hear the store above them, bustling with activity.

"Sirius Black!" Millie gasped fearfully.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Millie, go get the Professor." Thankfully, Severus was one of their escorts into Hogsmeade that day, and would undoubtedly not be too far away.

"Harry..."

"Go get him. Now."

"Yes Harry." Millie whispered, and left.

Harry pointed his wand at a nearby chair, half buried in crates. The crates were moved with a flick of his wrist, and Harry motioned to the chair. "Sit. Explain."

Black sat down. He was terribly dirty and looked skinny. But his eyes...he looked so hopeful.

"You don't think I'm guilty. Do you?"

Harry kept his wand on the man. "No. I don't think you're guilty. However, I'd like evidence. Sorry about this." With a flick of his wrist, ropes were tied about the man. Black didn't even fight it, he only wriggled slightly at the tightness.

"What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything."

"Was it Lupin?"

"Remus? No!" Sirius shook his head wildy, his long hair waving about. "No, Remus would never hurt anyone."

"He's a werewolf." Harry said flatly.

"Only three nights a month." Black pointed out. "He's a good man, no, it was Pettigrew."

"...The man you killed?"

"No. I didn't kill him. He framed me!"

Severus arrived then, looking out of breath. His wand was on Black instantly. "Black." The man sneered, lip curling.

"Snivellis." Black said, scowling.

Harry sighed. Sometimes, people never grew up. "Do you have veritaserum on you?"

"Of course." Severus bit out, taking out the small bottle.

Harry grabbed the bottle from him, and administered it to Black. They then proceeded to interrogate the man for the next half hour, until it wore off. Black was exhausted as Harry untied him.

"Okay, Sirius, we're going to get you some help."

"We are?" Severus said, not looking happy about that. Harry fixed him with a Look.

"Yes. I'm staying with 'Cissa now...you know Narcissa, your cousin?"

Black stared at him with wide eyes. "Why would you be staying with her? She's...she's one of them..." His eyes flicked over to Severus at this.

Harry shook his head quickly. "Narcissa was never marked. She and Lucius adopted me."

The man looked as though he was about to cry at this. Harry sighed. "Look, they know you're innocent too. I'm going to send you to them, so they can take care of you..."

"No! I'm not staying with dirty rotten Slytherins!" The man snapped.

Harry gave the man a cold stare, pulling his winter cloak to the side, revealing the Slytherin colors of his scarf. He was wearing dark green robes to match. "Am I a dirty rotten Slytherin too?" Harry whispered, face blank. The man's anger visibly deflated at this, his hands trembling as he reached for Harry.

Harry took a step back, and the man looked tragically lost.

"Oh Harry...I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you..."

"I know. But that will change. We'll find Pettigrew, and you'll be free. I swear it."

Severus took out a portkey from his cloak. "I will accompany you to the manor, so that I can tell Narcissa and Lucius what is going on."

Black took one more look at Harry, as though trying to memorize his face.

"You look so much like them...but so different at the same time."

Harry gave him a sad smile. "I know. Sirius, please rest, feel better. Narcissa is very nice...please trust her to take care of you."

Harry and Severus exchanged a look, and Severus gave him the slightest of nods as he activated the portkey. He would take of Black, just this once.

x-x-x

It wasn't that hard to find Pettigrew. Harry told Dean what was going on, and Dean grabbed Ron's rat Scabbers, a.k.a Peter Pettigrew, a.k.a Wormtail, and they sent him to the Malfoy's dungeons, in care of Severus.

From there, Sirius tortured the ex Death Eater, and then he was sent anonymously to the Ministry of Magic.

The very next day, Madam Bones announced that Peter Pettigrew was guilty of killing all those muggles and framing Sirius Black. Pettigrew died from his injuries inflicted upon him by Sirius, in St. Mungo's. Sirius was declared innocent, and Harry breathed a bit easier.

The morning that the students were to leave for the holidays, Lupin cornered Harry outside the Great Hall after breakfast. Millie was standing with him. The man looked rather nervous, for some reason.

"Mr. Potter...Harry, I heard that you've been in contact with your Godfather since he was declared innocent. I'm an old friend of his, and a friend of your parent's. I was wondering if you could pass a message along for me?" The man held a letter out to him.

Harry took the letter from the man carefully. "I will. Sirius...he said you were a good man. A good friend. I'm sure he would love to hear from you again."

Lupin's eyes looked suspiciously bright. "Yes, well...have a good holiday, you two."

He turned away, and Harry called out after him. "Have a good holiday, Professor."

x-x-x

The Manor was full of activity, everyone was preparing for the Ball. This time, Dean was staying for the entirety of the holidays. Draco was sulking in his room because of this. After Harry's little show in the common room, Draco had retreated in true Slytherin fashion. While he definitely wasn't friendly with the boys, he didn't antagonize them either.

The elves were working overtime to get everything ready. Narcissa had all three boys fitted for custom robes- she had insisted. The day of the Ball, Millie came over early, looking awful in a dark red dress that her Mother had clearly picked out. It was full of ruffles, ribbons, and bows, and she looked so miserable.

Harry took one look at her and dragged her to his room, not paying attention to the looks that he'd gotten for taking a guest to the family wing. They spent the afternoon in Harry's room, where he attempted to fix that dress of hers up, and she watched him get ready.

Harry was working on the floor, repairing one of her hems while Millie was looking at hair style magazines. There was a knock on his door.

"Come in." Harry called out.

Sirius poked his head in, looking much better. The man glanced at the two teens. "Huh. Narcissa wanted me to check in on you two, to see what you're up to. You've been in here almost all day." He raised a brow as he saw Harry working on Millie's dress. Millie herself was dressed in Harry's dressing gown.

"Millie's dress was simply awful." Harry made a face. "I just had to fix it."

Millie grinned at this. "Good thing Harry's good at mending things. How are you feeling, Lord Black?"

"Er...just call me Sirius, or Padfoot. Um, alright...that Dean friend of yours is bugging that Malfoy brat."

"They tend to do that." Harry murmured, cutting a thread. "Alright darling, this should be much better." He held up the dress. Indeed, it looked a great deal better, and it would suit her. He stood, holding it up, grinning to himself. "I did a fine job, if I don't say so myself."

He handed the dress over to the girl, who looked at it rapturously.

Harry turned to Sirius. "So, you invite Professor Lupin to the ball?"

"...Ah, yes. But we'll probably leave a bit early. This sort of thing was never our style."

Harry grinned, not terribly surprised. "Well, just make sure you don't leave too early. Narcissa will throw a fit if we don't network properly." He said, rolling his eyes. Sirius got a small smile on his face at this, and he watched Harry put some things away. He glanced around at his Godson's bedroom.

It was...different. Most teenage boys would have posters up of their favorite quidditch team, or maybe of a girl- Harry's room was decorated rather..femininely, and was rather tidy, for the most part. He noted the dressing table was filled with fancy looking bottles and things, and he saw an assortment of muggle clothes and robes in the full closet.

It was...odd. A teenage boy and a half dressed girl together in this room for hours, and said boy was sewing. They didn't even look like they'd been snogging.

Millie left for the loo, to try her dress on. Sirius looked at Harry's robes that were laid out on the boy's bed.

"Harry...mind if I ask you something?" He asked hesitantly.

Harry shrugged, and sat down at his dressing table. He started to brush his hair.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but...are you gay?"

Harry looked at Sirius in the reflection of his mirror. Their eyes met, and Harry's gaze went back to his face. He continued to brush his hair. Severus noted the brush was extremely fancy, it looked to be an heirloom.

"It's okay if you are. I mean, I'd be a hypocrite if I said it was wrong."

Harry paused at this. "Ah. I see."

"What?"

"You were with Lupin. No wonder things were awkward between you two. And that letter, seemed like a love letter to me..."

"...You read my letter?" Sirius frowned.

"I wanted to make sure he wasn't sending you a death threat or something. Don't worry, I won't tell." Harry grinned. "Look, Mil and I have an arrangement. We help each other out, and everyone keeps off of our backs in the meantime."

"So...you are?"

"Guess so." Harry sing-songed. "Not that it's really any of your business."

"I'm your Godfather, of course it's my-" Sirius cut himself off as Millie returned, dress in her arms. She was grinning.

"It looks great, Harry."

"Good. Now let's get to work on that hair of yours."

Sirius sighed, and left the room. He was in over his head. The last time he'd dealt with Harry, he was just a baby. He didn't know how to deal with him. He didn't know his Godson very well. Hopefully, that would change.

x-x-x

Dean cleaned up well, Harry thought, as he saw his friend. Dean was standing by the staircase, looking rather bored already. The guests would be arriving within the hour. Narcissa was fixing her son's hair- the boy wore black robes that were rather fitted like a muggle tux.

Dean was wearing a fitted dark blue athletic style robe, over a white shirt and matching blue trousers. His dreadlocks, which he'd been growing out, hit just at his chin. He was wearing new shoes, and Harry couldn't help but admire Dean's broadening shoulders. He would be quite the lady killer when they were older. He was talking to Sirius, who was glad to have a fellow Gryffindor about the place. They seemed to get on well.

Millie was wearing her fixed red dress, looking much happier at her clothes. All of the bows had been banished, and the neckline changed, the sleeves altered. Instead of the puffy shoulder things she once had, they had been taken off, and new long sleeves were attached, using some of the fabric from her skirt for a much more streamlined look. The skirt had been shortened from floor length to halfway down her calves. The neckline was wide, going nearly straight across her shoulders, accentuating one of her best features. Her shoulder and neckline.

Her hair was fixed, ala Harry, for a much more grown up look. It was in an updo, like before, but the banana curls had been vanished, replaced by a sleek bun. Her makeup had been completely redone- much more subtle. All in all, she looked quite grown up, and Harry was very happy to have her on his arm.

Harry himself was wearing black robes, with black embroidery. There were layers of transparent black fabric- it looked rather light and airy, but still suitable for winter. He hoped to catch Severus' eye sometime that evening, hopefully getting a kiss under the mistletoe, if they were alone.

The guests arrived, and Harry resigned himself for a rather boring evening. It wouldn't get to be fun until people's drinks started hitting them, and their lips loosened. Harry and Millie danced quite a bit, and they got more than one compliment on how well they looked together. Lady Bulstrode looked furious as she saw what her daughter had done to her dress, but couldn't say a word when everyone said how good she looked.

Harry found himself talking to Severus quietly in the corner, trying to get away from the old biddies that liked to pinch his cheeks. Severus looked very handsome tonight. Harry moved a bit closer to him, trying to hear better. Conversations were quickly growing loud around them as the night wore on.

Severus was talking about a new potion he was experimenting with. He was having a bit of trouble, but he liked the challenge. While Harry could follow him, he wasn't really all that interested in potions. He was more interested in how Severus talked about them. His dark eyes were glittering, and a small smirk was playing upon his lips- even the inflection of his voice changed. There was a warmth about him that most people wouldn't even notice, but Harry did.

Harry took a sip of his punch, lips lingering on the glass. Severus' words halted momentarily, his gaze dropping to Harry's lips. Harry allowed himself a small smile, feeling pleased. Hopefully, soon, Severus would just stop being a gentleman and ravish him thoroughly. Perhaps on the piano that stood nearby, Harry thought. As if sensing Harry's thoughts, Severus' gaze turned rather hungry, and he took a step closer.

Harry lowered his glass, looking at the man innocently. "Sir?"

Severus took a step back, and he shook his head, smirking. "Such a tease." He muttered.

"I suppose that garners a detention when I'm back at school, sir." Harry said softly, his voice lilting.

Severus gave him the smallest of smiles, and then it was gone instantly, his gaze falling on someone that stood not too far away. Harry turned slightly, and saw Sirius and Lupin, in their own little corner, talking away. The two of them were standing rather close, and he had never seen them smile so much. He sighed, and glanced at Severus. Shaking his head, mentally hating stupid little schoolboy rivalries.

"Fine then. Pay attention to them instead of me." Harry sniffed.

Severus looked back at him, looking rather ashamed. "Ah, excuse me."

Harry sighed. "I don't need to tell you to grow up, do I?"

"...Of course not." The man said with a frown.

"Alright then. Hey, let's go bother Lucius for a while."

x-x-x

The party was finally ending, and Harry found himself going to the loo to make sure no one was in there. One of the elves had found a guest in there asleep earlier, and he wanted to make sure that didn't happen again. He neared the door, and heard someone getting sick.

He knocked on the door briskly. "Hullo, are you alright in there?"

He heard the toilet flush, and the sink running. Harry stood, waiting patiently. He was very, very thankful for the elves that cleaned up after all this. Pureblood snobs were terribly messy.

The door cracked open, and out came Pansy. She looked rather pale, and her hair was slightly mussed. Harry looked at her in surprise. "I thought you'd already left earlier."

Pansy shook her head. "No, but I will be leaving soon."

He led her down the hallway. "Are you okay?"

Pansy gave him a small smile, but she didn't look all that well. "I'm fine, really." She stopped short as they entered the foyer, seeing some of the other guests there. She took a step back, so that the others couldn't see her.

Harry watched her worriedly. "Pansy?"

"Vania...she and her brother are still here?"

"Uh...yeah." Harry looked back to Vania. The girl was talking Narcissa's ear off, and the girl's older brother stood next to her, looking like he wanted to leave.

He looked to the girl, getting a bit more worried. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Vania...is...annoying. I just don't want her to see me like this. I'm a mess." She sniffed.

Harry sighed. "I'll go head them off. You go find your parents while I distract them."

Pansy gave him a thankful smile, and he went off. He approached Vania, giving the girl a sugary sweet smile. He kissed her cheek. "Thank you for coming tonight, Vania."

"I'm glad we could come." Vania said, her own voice sugary sweet. Harry hated the two-faced bitch, but he wasn't about to say that to her face.

Vania tugged on her brother's arm, and the boy wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. He looked bored.

"Oh, this is my brother, Adrian. He graduated before you came to Hogwarts, Harry."

"Nice to meet you, Adrian."

The young man gave him a slight nod, but didn't say anything. Sadly to say, that was rather normal with the more stupid men of the pureblood set.

Vania said her goodbyes to the Malfoys, and the siblings left through the floo. Harry glanced around and saw Pansy with her parents, who were still talking to Lucius. Pansy gave him a grateful smile.

He saw the Bulstrodes were getting ready to leave now. He hugged Millie goodbye, accepting an invitation to visit them at their home in two day's time.

x-x-x

Harry was sitting in yet another room of the Bulstrode's Mansion, the day after Yule. This time, it was Aiden's study. There was a huge case full of trophies and tons of photos of his children. He did not have one picture of his wife, Harry noticed. Apparently this visit was with Aiden, not necessarily with Millie. The girl was with her Mother somewhere else, and Harry got the impression that whatever he and Aiden were to speak about, it was rather important.

Aiden poured himself a tumbler of whisky, sitting at his desk. He smiled at Harry. "I'd offer you some, but you're a bit young for that, my lad."

Harry smiled at this.

"I'm sure you're curious as to why I asked you to come. I know you and my Millie are good friends, and if the rumors are to be believed, something more. Am I right?"

Harry looked down at his lap. "Well..."

"I know my daughter, Harry. She's a sweet girl, and I always wanted her to be happy. I can tell you make her happy."

Harry watched the man stand, taking a sip of his drink. Harry watched him walk around his desk, sitting on the edge of it casually. He motioned to the pictures in the case. "My oldest works as English Hitwizard, just like me. My second son works with the ICW on...international hitwizard operations. My youngest son is studying abroad with...well, I won't get into that. Millie is the baby of the family, and our only girl. She had been a surprise for us, but a good one."

The man took another sip. "So you must know...if you hurt her, not only will I hunt you down, her brothers will as well. And we're not wizards to be trifled with."

Aiden was completely serious at this, and Harry did not doubt him.

"I understand." Harry said solemnly.

Aiden smiled. "Good." He sat down again, finishing off his glass. He exhaled, looking thoughtful. "I know that my Millie isn't the most femenine of girls, but I suppose that's what caught your eye on her."

Harry did not answer this, knowing what the man was implying.

"My Millie..." The man sighed. "I know you can't help who you love, but the scandal...I want her to marry right. I know she could be happy with you, at least for a little while. If...you two pursue your interests elsewhere... just make sure it's private. I don't want to know, and I certainly don't want her Mother knowing."

Harry sat very still at this. "We're still young. Only thirteen. People change."

"Aye. They do." Aiden smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. The man changed the subject. "So, Harry, have you been teaching my daughter how to duel?"

Harry nodded, just a bit.

"Good. Good. Her Mother wouldn't approve, of course, so we'll have to keep that between us." The man grinned. "While she wants Millie to be a proper lady, honestly, I don't think Millie is cut from that cloth. You know what I mean?"

Harry tilted his head. "Sir?"

"Millie's the kind of girl that likes to get her hands dirty, that likes a challenge. Kind of like her old man that way." The man chuckled. "You've been a good influence on her. I've been hearing things, you know." The man said, pouring himself another glass. "Rumors. You trained with Lucius' son and that Thomas fellow, yet you never duel in public."

Harry didn't say one way or another. He knew the man wouldn't say anything if he already didn't know for sure.

"And I know Lucius would never,ever put his son through training and let you skate on by. He'd want you to know how to defend yourself. And with that muggleborn friend, I'm pretty sure you've been dueling long before you joined the wizarding world."

Harry was feeling rather wary now.

"Flint's been training you. And I'm pretty sure Snape has too- I can tell by the way you interact that the two of you spend a lot of time together. Why so much training for a such a young man that doesn't seem to be interested in dueling?"

Harry felt tense. How did this man know?

Bulstrode just smiled. "Your Professor Snape isn't the only legilimense."

Harry cursed internally. While he was well aware of the Headmaster's habit of snooping, he had let his guard down with Aiden. It was a rare ability, you had to be very powerful to have that skill.

"I'm not going to hurt you, lad. I just have a proposition."

Harry's gaze turned wary.

"Stay with that daughter of mine, and train her up good. I don't know what you've been training for, but if it is what I think it is, I want her to be ready too. Mil's got a good head on her shoulders, and she would be a good asset for you. Perhaps, one day, you'd make a good team."

"Sir?"

The man just leant back in his chair. "I've already got men watching Thomas when you send him out. Don't worry, he's not in danger. We're making sure he stays out of the worst bit of trouble. He's...skilled. We might have use for him in the future."

"I'm going to take a guess here and say that you're not quite retired from the Hitwizard organization."

The man winked. "Aye, lad."

x-x-x

Minds blown? Or did you guys already guess?

Remus and Sirius finally make an appearance, and there was a little bit of fun between Harry and Sev too. :3 I hope you guys liked the chapter, please review! You guys are awesome.


	26. Chapter 26

Love In the Dark

* * *

Dean was pacing in his room, looking worried. Harry had to talk to him as soon as he left the Bulstrode's, so that the boy knew what was going on.

"Shit."

"That's what I was thinking."

Dean ran a hand through his thick dreadlocks, looking upset. "What are we going to do?"

Harry sat down on the end of Dean's bed, looking thoughtful. "What do you _want_ to do?"

Dean shrugged, continuing to pace. "Maybe we should take him up on that offer. It wouldn't hurt. I probably wouldn't be doing more than I already am, at this point. At least I'll make money doing it."

"If you want to do it, then you should talk to Marcus." Harry said quietly. "Aiden told me that Marcus would be training us, if we took him up on the offer. Honestly, I think Marcus has already been training me with the skills I would need."

Dean gave him a long look. "You don't seem very enthusiastic."

Harry looked down at his lap. "I don't want to be killing people for the rest of my life, Dean. And...and I would be bound to be recognized easier. I don't think it would be a good idea. You can do it, if you want. The money is good, and the intelligence alone that you would learn could be very useful to us once Voldemort returns."

Dean looked thoughtful. "Yeah. I'll talk to Flint when we return to the school." He sat next to Harry on the bed, watching his friend carefully.

"Harry?"

Harry blinked, and looked up. "I'm alright. I'm just...wondering how long Millie and I should be together. Dean...Aiden was talking about us getting married. I'm not sure if we should take it that far."

Dean's eyebrows raised. "We're only thirteen."

"I know. But you know how these purebloods are." Harry sighed roughly. "While I like being with Millie and things, I don't know if marriage is the right answer. If we were in the muggle world, we would be able to live openly."

Dean rummaged through his pockets, taking out a carton of cigarettes. "Well, we're not in the muggle world, are we?" He handed one off to Harry, and the two boys lit their cigarettes wandlessly, almost in unison. They sat there, smoking in silence.

"No. We're not." Harry murmured after a while.

"I think I'm going to do it. I bet I could do a good job. I can guarantee you that most of those hitwizards are snobby purebloods that don't know a thing about the muggle world."

Harry grinned wryly. "You show 'em, Dean." He took a drag of his cigarette. "Bet you'll be the best damn assassin they've ever seen."

Dean sighed at this, looking a bit worried. "I don't know. I mean...I've injured plenty of guys, definitely, and knocked them out, but...kill?"

"You'll do whatever you need to do to get the job done. You've always been like that. Just...think, you could be like the magical version of James Bond."

Dean laughed at this. "But much cooler."

Harry giggled. "Yes, much cooler."

The door opened, cutting off their laughter, seeing a wide eyed Draco.

"What are you guys talking about? Are you really being recruited as a hitwizard, Thomas?"

"Get the fuck out of my room, Malfoy." Dean said, eyes narrowing.

Draco looked like he was about to throw a tantrum. Harry stood, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Boys, calm down." He held out the cigarette to Draco. "Want a smoke?"

Draco looked curiously at the cigarette, and grabbed it from Harry. Harry and Dean started laughing as Draco began to cough.

"Ugh."

Harry was pleased that he momentarily diffused the situation. He spoke. "Hey, Draco, I wanted to tell you that bit with the healing spell, during the your duel? That was pretty amazing."

"Yeah?" Draco said with surprise.

Dean nodded at this too. "Healing is really advanced magic, isn't it?"

Draco nodded, and attempted to take another drag of the cigarette. "Yes." He coughed a bit, and his eyes watered, but he wasn't about to let the other boys make fun of him.

Harry and Dean exchanged an unreadable look, and Harry spoke up. "Maybe you can show me the Healing books you've been studying? I don't know that much about healing, so..."

"Really?"

Harry nodded.

Draco smirked, finally knowing something that Potter didn't know. "I have some in my room."

Harry turned to Dean, and smiled. "We'll talk later, Dean."

Dean just waved them off, a smirk on his face. "Yeah, later." He knew exactly what Harry was up to.

Harry followed Draco out of Dean's room. Draco was already talking a mile a minute about the spells he knew, and what they could do.

x-x-x

Harry was glad to return to Hogwarts. While things between Lucius and himself had healed, Sirius was contantly tense around the man, and it showed. Narcissa tried her best to keep the peace between them, but Harry knew it wouldn't be long before Sirius started staying elsewhere. The dementors had left the school, and the perpetual rain and snow that had been falling on the school all last term was all gone. Within a week of term starting up again, Harry started his meetings of the AKDA once more, glad to have the others back.

He actually had Draco teaching them basic healing spells now. Draco was insanely pleased that he got to teach the group something. Pansy, Daphne, and Hannah actually picked up on healing extremely well, and Harry was certainly happy with the results. Some people in the group were slowly finding their niche, and Harry couldn't be happier.

Dean had the market cornered on supplies and information, and he was one of their best duelists. With the start of the new term, however, he was training with Marcus privately, hoping to be trained and recruited for the Hitwizards. He didn't spend as much time with the AKDA, focusing on that for now. Hannah and Susan were a bit upset at this, and constantly tried to get him to come to things.

Their clingy-ness was their downfall, however, and Dean broke things off with them. The girls were upset, but Harry quickly had them working more to distract them.

Susan and Tracey were a dueling pair now, now that Hannah was working with the healing team. The twins were still paired up, of course, and while they were both good duelists with a...unique style, they were focusing on their own inventions. Harry had Dean give them supplies, and Harry gave them a bit of money, and let the boys loose. These skills would come in handy.

Theo and Blaise were still trudging along in their dueling practice, as were Creevey, Neville, and Ginny. Vince and Greg were still having a hard go of it, and Harry had Millie and Hermione help them out, since the two girls were one of their best dueling pairs.

Luna was the odd one out, in many respects, so Harry often worked with her during the AKDA meetings. The others were always a bit put off by her strange habits, but Harry didn't bat an eye at it. He liked the girl quite a bit.

A couple of weeks after term began, Sirius visited the school on a Saturday. It created quite a commotion, and Harry could see that the man loved to rile things up. They met outside the Great Hall, just after lunch.

"Hey Harry, I just wanted to see how things were going." Sirius said with a smile. He was looking so much better already, and much happier. He was wearing rather nice looking robes, and his hair was pulled back a bit.

They walked along the corridor. "Fine, just fine. Keeping busy, as usual."

"So...uh, what do you and your friends do for fun?" The man asked.

Harry smiled. "Actually, I'm heading over to meet them now. Want to join us?"

"Uh...sure." The man said, and followed Harry down to the classroom that the AKDA usually met up in. Things had changed quite a bit since they had first started up the group. There was a large table set up in the corner, stacked high with healing and spell books. Hannah, Draco, and Daphne were already there, looking as though they'd been there all morning. They all glanced up as Harry entered the room.

"Hey Harry." Daphne greeted, looking at Sirius warily.

"Guys, meet my Godfather, Sirius Black." Of course, Draco had already met him, but the other two girls hadn't met him properly yet.

"Lord Black." Both girls greeted primly.

"Call me Sirius." Sirius said, looking uncomfortable. He glanced around the room, noting that all the other tables had been cleared, and that the space had mats on the floor.

Harry and Sirius went further into the room. Harry took off his cloak, revealing a dark purple tunic and trousers. It was the weekend, after all. Harry braided his hair expertly into a plait, watching Sirius' expression carefully.

"Healing books?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. We all get together here and train."

"Train for what?"

The man's question went unanswered, as Millie and Hermione came in, giggling about something. Millie, upon seeing Sirius, curtseyed instantly. "Lord Black."

Hermione looked a bit wary and confused, and did the same, but it was clear she wasn't used to the action.

Sirius smiled. "Uh, hello. You're Millie, right? Harry's girlfriend?"

Millie nodded.

"And I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione said, shaking the man's hand. It was clear by her muggle denims, sweater, and sneakers that she was a muggleborn. He smiled as he saw the Gryffindor scarf she wore.

"You're a Gryffindor?"

The girl nodded.

Harry spoke up. "We've got a good group here, from all four houses. A bit uneven still, as we've only got one Ravenclaw, but hopefully we'll add more in time. Where is Luna, by the way?" Harry asked Millie.

Millie frowned. "I saw her in the library. She was being picked on by some boys, but I think Dean managed to scare them off. They're probably on their way."

Harry nodded to himself. Millie took off her cloak, and Hermione pulled her hair up.

"Alright, start your practice girls, until the others arrive."

Millie and Hermione started practicing at the far end of the room. Harry glanced at his Godfather. "We call ourselves the AKDA. The Ass-Kicking Defense Association. You see, after having Quirrelmort and that bastard Lockhart as teachers, we didn't want to fall behind on our Defense studies."

"Uh...I heard Lockhart was a bit of a ponce, but..." Sirius shut up at Harry's expression.

Hannah spoke up from her place at the table. "We like Professor Lupin, though. He's a very good teacher."

Blaise, Theo, Vince, and Greg entered the room, and started practicing without speaking a word to Harry. Mille and Hermione went to help Vince and Greg out. Sirius watched all of this thoughtfully.

Colin, Neville, and Ginny came with the Weasley twins, they were laughing about something or other. Sirius relaxed a bit, seeing a bit more Gryffindors, and Weasleys to boot. He had been worried, but now, not as much. The Weasleys were good people. And he'd known Neville's parents, too bad that they couldn't be around for their boy.

Last, but not least, Dean arrived, with Luna in tow. The girl was missing her shoes, and she looked a bit scraped up. Dean was sporting a swollen eye, and a furious look on his face.

"Dean, you alright?"

"I'm fine." Dean grit out. Hannah started fixing the boy up, while Daphne tended to Luna.

"What happened?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Those bastards. It was good thing we were in the library, or they wouldn't only just have bruises." Dean hissed.

"Are you alright Luna?"

"I'm fine Harry, don't worry about me. Dean was very thorough, I don't think those boys will be around again." Luna said dreamily.

Harry glanced at Sirius. "Uh, you're welcome to watch us, if you want..."

"I could help out. I'm not a bad hand at dueling myself."

Harry grinned. "Fantastic."

A little while later, Sirius found himself rather shocked at the level these kids were dueling at. Most of their spells were OWL level, and some of them were even casting at NEWT level. Strangely enough, it was Dean Thomas and Hermione Granger casting the most advanced spellwork, and both of them were muggleborn. Sirius suspected that Harry would do just as well, if not better than them, but Harry did not participate in the dueling that day. He just helped the others.

He was a bit shocked at little Ginny Weasley's skill with darker spells, and more than a few of them were casting borderline legal spells. Sirius knew a fair bit of borderline spells, so he wouldn't say anything, but for them to have such great control was unheard of.

There was definitely a hierarchy here. It might have shifted around at some point, but there was a hierarchy. Harry was at the top, but it looked to be that Dean and Millie were his lieutenants. Where had they learnt these spells? Not all of this could be taught from books. There had to be others.

Sirius frowned to himself as he thought of one person that would possibly teach Harry such spells. Snape.

x-x-x

Sirius banged on Severus' door, fists clenched in anger. After he'd left the AKDA meeting, he had worked himself up, and he felt like giving Snape a good talking to. The man opened the door, and looked at Sirius.

"He told you?" Snape said, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius entered the office, snarling. "He didn't have to tell me! I could tell!"

Snape's face looked curiously blank, as it always had when they faced off as kids. "Oh?"

The man moved to sit behind his desk. "Sit, Black. I suppose I have a lot of explaining to do."

"You bet you do!" Sirius snarled, and remained standing. He banged his fist on the man's desk. "What the fuck are you playing at? Why in the hell would you be teaching those kids those spells?"

Snape looked relieved for some reason. "Oh. The spells. Yes, well, actually I have not taught the children any spells, except for Mr. Potter. I can assume Mr. Potter taught those spells to the others."

"They're borderline Dark, Snivilus. What on Earth are you teaching those spells for?"

"The Dark Lord is going to return." Severus said, ignoring his hated nickname.

Sirius looked pale. "But...he's dead."

"No. He is not. Surely Narcissa and Lucius told you what's gone on these past couple of years."

"...A bit. But...they didn't tell me everything. I was waiting for Harry. He would know better than anyone."

"Yes. He does. Mr. Potter is a very private young man. Sensitive information like this isn't widely known- only myself and the other staff members, and Lucius and Narcissa know. Not all of Harry's friends know yet."

"He's training them...isn't he? For when Voldemort returns?"

"Yes."

Sirius buried his face in his hands. "Fuck."

"Yes." Severus repeated. "Quite the mess we are in. That is why I've been training Mr. Potter. Small things, mostly, so that he could catch up to his peers, but...he is rather fond of picking up advanced spells. He likes to be well prepared. After all, that's how he's survived all these years."

Sirius looked upset. " 'Cissa told me...that he had been left at the orphanage by those awful muggles...I'm so worried about him. He seems so..."

"Cold? Indifferent?"

"Well...sometimes. Then...sometimes he seems overly happy and welcoming...he seems like another person. What is he really like?"

Snape just looked at Sirius for a long time. "Why ask me?"

Sirius sighed. "Look, I've seen you two talk. It's clear that you guys talk about things and stuff, and I guess he trusts you more than other adults. He'd let his guard down around you, right? So...what is he like?" Sirius hated to ask his childhood rival, but he had to.

Snape picked up his quill, running his fingertips over it. "He's intelligent. Brave. More than a little sneaky, but all of these traits have helped him survive over the years. He's been hurt, and he doesn't trust easily. He's loyal to his friends, especially Mr. Thomas and Miss Bulstrode. He is sociable, most of the time, and is friendly with all sorts of people, no matter their background. He dislikes bullies, and tends to mother the younger students."

"And he's gay. Right? I asked him, but..."

Snape's eyes flashed at this. "I think that's Mr. Potter's business. We don't talk of such things."

"...right. Can I ask why he didn't duel in the competition held here last term? I talked with Remus about it."

"And what did Lupin say?"

Sirius looked thoughtful. "That Harry was always a bit shy, even about performing Defense spells in class. He has to be talented, otherwise he wouldn't be able to help the others in that group of his."

"You are right. While Mr. Potter is talented, he likes to keep his cards close."

"...I see." Sirius said, feeling a bit wary now. He frowned. "I hate that I'm having to ask you all this stuff, but...you're his head of House."

"And you hate it, don't you?" Snape said with a smirk. "You hate that he's one of your despised Slytherins."

Sirius didn't answer this. The man stood, and left the room in silence. The door closed, and after a long moment, Harry's head popped up from behind the desk.

Severus glared at the boy. "What on earth were you thinking about inviting Black to one of your meetings?"

"I...thought he'd be useful."

"You'd better be damned careful with him. Black was always loyal to Dumbledore. If Dumbledore hears that you and your friends are messing about with borderline spells, he will not be happy. As it is, Black will be likely to tell Lupin about all this, and Lupin will probably insist on being there."

Harry sighed, and sat in Severus' lap. The man held himself stiffly in his chair at this. "Then there is the matter of you groping me while I was talking with Black."

Harry grinned cheekily. "You have very good self control, you know."

Severus' eyes flashed. "I do, do I?"

Harry kissed the man's cheek, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"I'm giving you a detention for that." The man murmured, hands inching around Harry's slender waist.

"You are, are you? And what will you have me do, _Professor_? Clean your stirring rod?" Harry licked his lips.

Severus shoved Harry out of his lap. "No. You will be cleaning the bookshelves in my quarters, and reorganizing them alphabetically."

Harry's grin did not fade. "Just an excuse for me to be in your quarters, hmm?"

x-x-x

Sirius banged on Remus' door frantically, hating the fact that he'd had to go to Snape for answers. Remus opened his door, looking worried. Sirius went inside, and Remus closed the door behind him.

"Siri, what's wrong? Is Harry okay?"

Sirius ran a hand through his curls, shaking his head. "I don't know, Moony. I...I didn't expect him to be like this." He said quietly, tears pricking his eyes. "He's so grown up...he doesn't need me."

Remus sighed, and pulled Sirius into a hug. They stood there like that for a long moment, and Remus led the man over to his sofa. Sirius sat there, looking so sad. Remus ran a hand through the man's hair gently, looking at his long-time friend. For years, he'd thought he had lost Sirius in addition to all of his other friends, and now that his friend was back, he felt sad for another reason. Ever since Sirius had met Harry and realised that their cub wasn't anything like Prongs, he was struggling.

It didn't help that he had to stay with the Malfoys, of all people, until he got a bit better.

"Harry is thirteen, he's a teenager. Do you remember what we were like at that age?" Remus asked with a small smile.

Sirius returned it. "Yeah. It's just...sometimes, he's so serious. I...I spent a few hours with him and his friends this afternoon. Instead of hanging out in the common room or by the Lake, they spent the afternoon practicing their dueling and studying healing spells!"

Remus' eyes widened at this. "What?"

Sirius sighed roughly. "Apparently this group has been around for a while now, and they're pretty damned good. Granger and Harry's friend Dean are performing at NEWT level, and I could tell they weren't even trying! They're third years, Remmy! Third years!"

"Merlin..." Remus murmured, looking shocked. "And Harry?"

Sirius shook his head. "Didn't see him duel. He was helping the others who were struggling."

Remus frowned. "How many are in the group?"

"Uh, well, lemme think. There was a Parkinson, Greengrass, Zabini, Nott, Goyle, Crabbe, Bones, Lovegood, Davis, The Weasley twins, Ginny Weasley...those were the purebloods. Then there was Abbott, Granger, Creevey, and Thomas. Oh, and the Longbottom kid. And of course, Millie." He smiled, thinking of the girl. "I like her, actually. Knew her Mother, years ago, what a Bitch. Glad she's not like her."

Remus looked thoughtful. "Hmm. At least one student from every house. Rather impressive." The man stood, going to his desk. He went through his paperwork a bit. "Ah, I see all of the members do rather well in my classes. I'm sure if I asked around, they probably do well in their other classes too."

Remus sat back down, looking thoughtful. "I'm doubtful that the Headmaster is aware of this group, and I know the staff haven't mentioned it. They were surprised when Granger and Bulstrode did so well in their duel last term."

"Harry's training them for war." Sirius said quietly. "I...I talked with Snape."

"You did?" Remus asked in surprise. Sirius had never talked with Snape willingly before.

"Yeah. Wanted some answers. The greasy git said he'd taught Harry a few minor spells, and Harry must have taught them to his friends. He had to have done more than that..."

"I don't know, Siri, they're all pretty smart kids, and hard workers." Remus frowned slightly at this. "I remember doing my patrols last term, once, and catching Harry out after curfew..."

Sirius grinned at this. "Finally, breaking a rule..."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Anyways, he was just outside Severus' office. He had a book, said he was borrowing it. Obviously the man is still teaching him..." Remus trailed off, eyes distant. "Let me ask the other professors. Some of them always get quiet when I ask about Harry... I get the impression that something happened, maybe last year."

"Yeah, he helped them fight off that Basilisk. Cissa told me."

Remus shook his head. "No, I think it's something else. I think he was hurt, somehow. Maybe he and Snape got close afterwards, talking about it."

Sirius felt strange for some reason. "Hurt? What do you..."

"The staff refuse to talk about Lockhart. I think he hurt Harry."

Sirius paled. "That...would explain Harry's reaction when I mentioned him today." He sighed roughly. "Merlin, I'm an idiot."

Remus ran a hand through the man's scalp, giving him a small smile. "But you're my idiot."

Sirius glanced his way, smiling sadly.

x-x-x

Harry stood in the corner of the dimly lit room, watching the older Slytherins complain and hash things out. Marcus was at the head of the table, looking more and more pissed off for some reason. The younger students were all quiet, waiting for the older ones to stop arguing. Draco was looking bored, arms crossed over his chest. Harry was the only one standing, and that was because there was no chair for him. Pansy was there, as he felt it wouldn't be fair to the girl for him to take her place. He hadn't even wanted to be a part of this group back in his first year, after all.

"Enough!" Marcus snapped, standing up. The room went silent. "Now, as you all know, I am in my seventh year, and I will be leaving Hogwarts. This group is a mess. All of you have let your power get to your heads, and you all turned into idiots! How are we to guide our housemates if we can't work together?"

Marcus glanced over his shoulder at Harry. "Come over here, Potter."

Harry went to his side silently, aware of all the stares directed at him. He knew he wasn't as tall or imposing looking as Marcus could be, but he did have a way of making people shut up.

"Potter is going to be taking my place once I leave Hogwarts."

Gasps filled the table. "What? But he's only a third year!" An older boy exclaimed.

"Yes. He is. Yet he's more mature than all of you. He has been training with me privately since his first year, and I expect that all of you will defer to him when needed. If not, he will certainly put you in your place."

All of the older students looked a bit nervous at this, although Vania was glaring too much to look nervous.

"He will need a female leader." The girl stated, with an edge to her voice.

"No he won't." Marcus said, his tone making sure that no one argued with him.

"But...isn't that tradition?" Another girl asked, looking a bit nervous.

"It is, however, when we recruited Potter, he wasn't our candidate for the boys." Marcus motioned lazily to Draco at this. "Malfoy is for their year. Potter was also trained by Ella, before she left last year. He has a unique perspective on things, and I believe he will make a fine leader. He has taught our fellow Slytherins a great deal, and many outside the House respect him."

No one could argue further.

x-x-x

Harry was in his room, just in his knickers and socks, while Millie was lying on his bed, flipping through a magazine. She was only wearing her knickers and a bra. They had been trying on clothes again, and Harry was rummaging about for something Millie could wear.

"Here, what about these?" Harry pulled out some black trousers.

The girl looked a bit nervous. "I don't know...I've never really been allowed to wear trousers before...would I fit?"

Harry glanced at the pants. "I think so."

Millie sighed, and got up from the bed. She grabbed them from Harry, wriggling into them. "They're a bit tight."

Harry was still grinning. "They look fantastic, love. Your bum looks amazing."

Millie was blushing at this, and Harry squealed, going to his clothes once more. "Oh! I know!" He cried, and pulled out one of his bigger button down shirts. "Damn, I should have thought of this ages ago. You have to wear this outfit tomorrow!"

Millie pulled on the shirt, frowning. "It's just like a school shirt, except it's green. So?"

Harry shook his head, unbuttoning the top two buttons, and rolling up the sleeves. He also adjusted the collar a bit, leaving it a bit open. "There!"

He shoved her in front of the mirror, and the girl stared at her reflection, tucking her shirt in.

"Damn, you look great. Your boobs look fantastic in that shirt."

He shoved her to sit down at the dressing table, ignoring her blush. "I bet it will be a lot easier to duel in something like that. You won't have to worry about your skirt flying up all the time. I mean, Hermione wears jeans, why can't you?"

"Well...I guess...she does look good in them..."

Harry nodded quickly, brushing her hair. "Oh yes. You know, we'll have to go shopping in the muggle world. Make a day of it. Oh! Maybe we can invite the other girls, it'll be fun."

Millie smiled at this, and he brushed her hair back away from her face.

x-x-x

So here's the next chapter! Third year will be wrapping up in the next one. Thanks for reading guys. Please review! :)


	27. Chapter 27

Love In the Dark

* * *

So...I've decided that this story will not have Mpreg. I've also decided on pairings for all the important characters. Feel free to make suggestions for 'temporary' pairings, but the _final_ pairings have been decided. No, I will not tell you all. That would ruin the surprise. XD

x-x-x

It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the laughter of children filled the air of Hogsmeade. Harry was walking to the Three Broomsticks with Millie on one arm, and Luna on the other. Hermione, Ginny, Pansy, Daphne, and Tracey were surrounding them, having fun. It was a girl's day, and Harry thought the day couldn't get any better.

Everything seemed so much better with the Dementors gone. Harry had hated those dreadful things, and hated the effect that they had on the weather. As they walked down the street, he thought about continuing his private practice on the patronus charm. He had started to practice it the previous term, but stopped once the dementors were sent away. But it might be a good idea to continuing his practice, just in case. You could never be too careful.

He waved slightly to Professor Flitwick and McGonagall as they passed. The two Professors smiled at the group, and went in the Three Broomsticks as well. The place was jam packed full of people. Thankfully, they had a corner booth reserved for them, by Dean and a bored looking Draco.

"Finally!" Draco exclaimed. "Ugh, never thought you'd get here."

The others sat down, and Madam Rosmerta came over to get their drink order. Dean was shamelessly flirting with the woman, who was clearly used to it.

x-x-x

Sirius and Remus were in the crowded bar as well, sitting with Flitwick, McGonagall, and Hagrid, who were sitting in the reserved 'Teacher's Booth' that was within sight of Harry and his friends.

"So, how are you doin' Sirius?" Hagrid asked, his tankard of Meade sloshing about.

"Fine, just fine." Sirius glanced over. "Looks like Harry's having fun."

Hagrid laughed at this. "Quite the ladies man, he is. Always surrounded by girls. Jus' like his Father."

McGonagall and Flitwick smiled at this, and Remus spoke up. "I think it's kind of funny, that most of his friends are girls. Why is that?"

McGonagall spoke. "Unlike other teenage boys, Mr. Potter has manners and knows how to use them." She said wryly, sipping her Gillywater.

Flitwick spoke quietly, leaning forward. "I'm glad the lad turned around. He was so quiet last year, withdrawn. Bit worried there, for a bit, but he bounced back."

"Why do you think that was?" Sirius asked, exchanging a look with Remus.

Flitwick frowned, but didn't answer.

Hagrid started to look upset. "That...idiot..." His voice dropped at this. "Lockhart. Glad he's dead."

"He's dead? I thought you'd said he went to Azkaban. That he was somehow involved with that Basilisk." Remus said, furrowing his brow.

McGonagall gave Hagrid a Look that the man didn't notice.

"Aye, he was headed there when there was some accident with the Aurors." Hagrid mumbled. "Good riddance. After what he did ter Har-"

"Hagrid!" McGonagall and Flitwick hissed at the same time, furious.

Sirius looked upset now, and Remus looked terribly worried. McGonagall looked at the men, looking upset herself. "I'm sorry gentlemen, but I feel as though that is something that Mr. Potter should share with you."

Sirius looked over at Harry and his friends. "I think I figured it out. He's okay, though, right?"

"We think so." McGongall said carefully. "Severus assures us that he's been talking to Mr. Potter when he can."

"..." Sirius grumbled something inaudible under his breath.

"My, my Miss Bulstrode looks rather good today. I say, is she wearing muggle clothes?" Flitwick said, attempting to change the conversation.

McGonagall smiled at this. "I believe she is. That girl changed quite a bit once she and Mr. Potter became friends- she's really come out of her shell."

They watched the teenagers laugh and goof around for a bit. Sirius stared, trying to place this playful group with the ones who had looked so serious whilst dueling. And Harry, poor Harry. Sirius was glad that he could find happiness for just a little while. He was terribly upset a man like Lockhart had been able to teach at the school. Not to mention what else had gone on in previous years.

Dumbledore had a lot to answer for. The only reason Sirius didn't rage at the man now was because, according to Severus, the Dark Lord was still around. There was bound to be a war. Not if, but when. And Dumbledore was one of their best chances of survival. He studied Harry and his friends, and realized...that maybe it had changed. These kids were the future.

x-x-x

Harry and Millie were snogging in his room, just having come from Hogsmeade. The girl had been exhilarated at all the compliments she'd gotten, and was feeling pretty amazing.

Harry laughed as the girl pinned him down on the bed, straddling him. "Mil, what's got into you?"

Millie only smiled, slowly unbuttoning her shirt. "For the first time, I truly feel good about my looks. I feel...comfortable in these clothes, in this style. I felt...good. Sexy, almost. Someone even whistled at me!"

Harry's brows raised as she pulled off her shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra. His friend has certainly grown up in the past couple of years. She'd slimmed down a bit, and was definitely getting some curves. She was even adding a bit of muscle tone to her shoulders and arms. He absolutely loved that she wasn't built like a twig. "Then why are you taking off your clothes, then?"

Millie laughed, grabbing his hands, putting them on her chest. Harry couldn't remember her being so forward before, and he liked it! He'd only barely touched her boobs before, and she'd always worn a bra. "You tramp, you didn't wear a bra today." He whispered, squeezing her boobs.

"Shut up." She breathed, closing her eyes. "My chest looked too big in that shirt with the bra on..." She groaned, wriggling against him.

"So?" Harry said, sitting up. She straddled his lap, and he began to kiss her neck, groping her harder. He tweaked at her nipples, everything felt so different than a man's... "Hmm...so soft..."

"Shut up, shut up..." Millie whispered. "How am I supposed to pretend you're Hermione if you sound like Harry?" She asked playfully.

Harry laughed at this, loudly. "You fucking slut, I knew it!"

Millie got off of him, face red. She grabbed a pillow hiding her chest. "I said that aloud, didn't I?" She grumbled, looking upset now.

Harry sighed, yanking the pillow from her. "I'll be quiet, I swear. Hold up. Close your eyes." He murmured, taking off his robes, dropping them to the floor. He grabbed the nearest dress he could get his hands on- a flimsy little blue thing. He laid next to his...er...girlfriend, and curled up against her side. He guided one of her hands to his hair, and the other to his thigh. Those were safer spots, gender neutral. It wouldn't mess with her head space. She never opened her eyes as she began to kiss him, hands slowly touching him.

Harry groaned quietly as she tugged on his hair, and her groping turned rougher. He smiled secretly to himself as she pinned his arms down, her lips devouring his. Harry's eyes snapped open as she groped him through his knickers. This was a first. She froze, eyes opening. Her eyes dropped down, and Harry found himself resigned to forever having to take care of this on his own. At least until he managed to have Severus ravish him.

He started to pull away, but she shook her head, hiking up his skirt. Without even asking, she pulled down his knickers, revealing his cock to her for the first time. "Oh." She breathed.

Harry was silent, watching her reaction. He knew she'd never seen a cock before.

"It's...different than I thought it would be." Millie said after a moment.

"Good different or bad different?"

Millie continued to stare at it. "I don't know. I...guess I expected it to be...hairier or something."

Harry giggled, and they watched his cock twitch slightly. "Spell takes care of that. If you notice, I don't have any hair on my legs or anywhere else."

"...Oh." Millie cocked her head. "So...that goes inside a girl..."

"Well, technically, it's never been inside anyone." Harry said with a flirty grin. He reached down and touched it. "You mind if I?"

"Uh...I'll watch." Millie whispered.

Harry grinned, and started to stroke his cock. He closed his eyes, lying back. He used his free hand to travel up and down his chest, groping himself. He squirmed and writhed against the sheets, panting. "Fuck..." He arched up slightly as he scratched his thigh. He then reached with his free hand, toying with his ass. A finger went inside, and his toes curled.

In his head, he was imagining that Severus was the one who watching him diddle himself while he was all dressed up, that Severus was the one who was getting him all worked up. While he loved Millie dearly, she couldn't compare to his Severus...

He gasped, throwing his head back. "Fuck...Oh God, Severusss..." His legs locked up as he orgasmed, coming all over his hands, knickers, and groin.

After a long moment, Harry opened his eyes, and saw Millie sitting there, looking rather flushed. She squirmed. "Severus, is it?"

"Oh come on, I bet you think of your precious Hermione while you play with yourself." Harry muttered. With a flick of his wrist, his cum vanished.  
Millie looked rather scandalized, but she was still smiling.

"Harry, you're so mean."

Harry winked at her, tugging his dress down. "You were the one who was pinning me down earlier. I bet you could be a little _mean_ when the situation calls for it." He said coyly. At the girl's blank look, Harry sighed. "Look, some people like to control, and others like to be controlled. Earlier, when you were pinning me down and taking control, I was allowing you to do that, giving up my control."

She still looked a bit confused at this. Harry sighed. "It's a bit complicated." He pulled his hair back into a ponytail, and sat next to her on the bed. "Look, all you need to know at this point is that I trust you enough to do something like that. I don't trust a lot of people."

Millie gave him a small smile. "I know." They hugged at this. Millie sighed against his neck. "Sometimes...I wish you were a girl."

Harry giggled. "And sometimes, I wish you were a boy, but that just isn't in our cards now, is it?"

He pulled away, rummaging through his discarded cloak. He took out his cigarettes, and lit one wandlessly. He took a drag, and glanced over at Millie, who was staring at him.

"What?"

"You did that wandlessly."

"Yeah. So?"

"But...wow. Only people like Dumbledore can do that..." She whispered.

"Fuck that shit. Dean can do it too. Sev can as well, for that matter."

Her eyes went round. "Really?"

"Yeah. Of course, it's all small stuff, but yeah." He took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling with a smile. "You want?"

The girl shook her head quickly, scrunching up her nose. She sighed, grabbing her shirt. "Well...I guess I should get back to my room."

Harry giggled. "You mean, get to diddle yourself while thinking of Hermione. 'Oh Hermione, your bushy hair and bookish ways have captured my heart'-" He said dramatically. Millie threw a pillow at him.

"Fuck you, Harry."

"Language, Millicent. A proper young lady doesn't curse." Harry teased, tossing it back to her.

"You sound like my Mother." Millie said with a scowl.

Harry scrunched up his face, and took another drag. "That was low, Mil."

x-x-x

Sirius seemed to be a permanent fixture at Hogwarts that term. He was there nearly every weekend, probably to avoid having to spend time with the Malfoys. He even took over Remus' classes when the man was 'ill'. Now that he was free and he had the Black Vaults all to himself, he grudgingly started to pick up on his duties as Lord Black. He really hated it, but they would need the money what with the war coming up soon. It was inevitable, and he had to be prepared.

He certainly didn't want to be at Grimmauld Place again, but the House was the safest he knew. He hired a team of elves, after getting Kreacher to finally join his brethren on the wall. The elves worked overtime to banish all the dark creatures in the house, cleaning and repairing, getting rid of that awful portrait, and were attempting to make it a better home.

He withdrew his family's old investments from the more...dubious businesses, and put money into the Daily Prophet, the Ministry's Auror Department, St. Mungo's, and a few other companies that would be good for suppliers. He was extremely surprised to find out that his Godson was already doing this, but in a much quieter fashion.

He also met up with his Cousin Andy, and met her Daughter Tonks, and her husband Ted. Before he'd been imprisoned, he hadn't ever really got the chance to know them, and was making up for lost time. He was happy to find out that Tonks was training to be an Auror, and that she had apprenticed to the legendary Mad Eye Moody. He reinstated them back into the family, and even helped Tonks get set up in her own apartment in London. She was a good kid, a bit klutzy, but good. He was a bit surprised that she'd been a Hufflepuff, but you couldn't deny that she was a hard worker.

x-x-x

One late evening in May, Harry, Sirius, and Remus were in Remus' quarters, drinking butterbeers and looking at old pictures of the mauraders. Many of them had holes where Pettigrew used to be, or they were scratched out and such, but that didn't keep them from having a good time.

"See, this is us back in third year, at the lake, when Siri here was trying to get into Mary's skirt, and he was showing off for her..."

Harry frowned, seeing Severus being levitated into the tree, and all the other students laughing. He looked so scared and alone...

"And Snivilus was like 'get me down' and..." Sirius trailed off, seeing the look on Harry's face. "I'm sorry Harry."

Remus looked a bit forlorn. "We were stupid assholes as kids."

Harry just gave them a sad smile. "Everyone's allowed to be stupid once in a while. But why did you always have to pick on Severus?"

Remus and Sirius exchanged a look. "Well...James wanted your Mum ever since he first laid eyes on her. Apparently she was really close to Snivilus, and they were always together...we always assumed that he had a crush on her too. And...well, the guy was a bit creepy, and he knew all sorts of Dark Magic before even coming to Hogwarts..."

Harry sighed, setting the picture aside. He curled his feet underneath him, taking a swig of his butterbeer. "Look, Severus and my Mother grew up together. They were best friends, nothing more."

"...I didn't know that they grew up together." Sirius said, looking surprised.

"They were. Severus, in fact, was the one to tell her that she was a witch. And this was far before they came to Hogwarts. So yeah, Severus might have known a bit of Dark Magic, but so did my Mother. Just because she didn't talk about it, doesn't mean she didn't know it."

"Really? Lily knew Dark Magic?" Sirius looked rather skeptical at this.

Harry gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "They were practically siblings. Severus taught her what he knew about magic, and she helped patch him up after his Father had a few too many..."

Remus and Sirius went pale at this. "Oh..."

Harry looked uncomfortable. "Please don't tell Severus I told you. And don't act differently around him, he'll suspect."

"I...guess this is what you guys talk about?" Sirius asked, after an awkward moment.

Harry looked down, fiddling with the bottle in his hands. "I suppose the staff told you what happened with...last year."

"We kind of put it together." Sirius murmured.

Harry glanced their way, cautiously. "Look, I know everyone's all worried, but I'm totally fine. I don't even remember anything. That...bastard obliviated stuff, so I can't remember."

"...That makes it even worse." Remus said, looking horrified. "I don't think even Death Eaters would do such a thing..."

Harry sighed roughly. "Anyways, I can take care of myself. That won't be happening ever again."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look at this. "Harry... um, have you thought about talking to Dumbledore? Maybe getting some training from him?"

Harry growled. "No."

Remus furrowed his brow. "While he does have his faults, he's a very good man..."

"A good man doesn't just leave a child on a muggle's doorstep!" Harry yelled, standing up. Both men stared at him with wide eyes. "A good man doesn't just abandon him in the muggle world, not even bothering to check to see if he's even living on the streets!"

"I...I thought Narcissa said that you had been living in an orphanage." Sirius said, frowning.

Remus shook his head. "The staff said you had been living with Foster parents..."

Harry sighed. "Look, the only reason I'm telling you guys this is because...well, because we were supposed to be family. If everything hadn't gone to shit, I would have been practically your kid." He ran a hand through his hair. "I have my reasons to not trust Dumbledore."

"Tell us." Remus said quietly. "We want to understand."

Harry nodded slowly. "Very well then." He drew himself up a bit, taking a deep breath.

"Dumbledore let a teacher in this school that was possessed by Voldemort. He had to know. The only reason Quirrel was found out was because I shot the bastard when he tried to attack me. He died, and when the staff searched his rooms, they found out. He had to know about the Fucking Basilisk. He should have evacuated the school until the thing had been caught. Then, the whole...Lockhart thing. Dumbledore was all for letting him go to Azkaban, and..."

"You had those Aurors kill him on the way there." Sirius concluded with wide eyes.

Harry laughed, and it sounded a little hysterical. "Close, but no. Lucius did it for me."

"...Lucius? As in...he did it for you?"

"Yeah." Harry said quietly. "He owed me."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look at this. Harry grinned, but there was no kindness in it. "Then, this year. While I do like you Lupin, and you are a great teacher, you're a werewolf."

"...How did you know?" Remus murmured.

Harry rolled his eyes at this. "Oh come on, it wasn't that hard to figure out. I'm just surprised that the other students haven't already figured it out. I bet Hermione has...she's rather brilliant that way." He paused. "Look, I'm all for equal rights and stuff, but...enough shit has 'happened' here at the school, and I don't want you to hurt anyone."

Remus looked pained. "...I'm sorry, Harry. Maybe I should give my resignation-"

Harry shook his head quickly. "No. Finish out the year. The wizarding world doesn't know that you're a werewolf yet- I'm guessing Dumbledore hid your registration stuff?"

Both men nodded. Harry made a face. "So...leave at the end of the year, willingly, and...give some reason. I don't want you getting hurt either, and with this stupid curse on the Defense position, there will be some reason for you to have to leave. At least this way, you'll have more options."

Remus nodded slowly.

Sirius spoke up. "Harry...I know you're growing up fast. You had to. And I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you. But...I want to help. Believe me, I know Dumbledore has a lot to answer for. He could have forced the wizengamot to hold a trial for me, but he didn't. They could have investigated a bit more. I know...you don't need a Godfather, but...I do want to support you in any way that I can."

Harry stood there for a long moment. He withdrew a dagger from his hidden holster, making both men tense.

"Will you swear on it? I don't give my trust easily. There is still a lot you don't know about. If I am to tell you, I need confirmation that I can trust you."

The two of them didn't hesitate as they stood, holding out their hands to the boy. Sirius gave Harry a sad smile. "We did this for Remus when we found out about him. We swore to never tell anyone...you sure you know what you are doing?"

Harry nodded, and pricked his palm. "You two aren't the first." He murmured. "And you certainly won't be the last." He did the same for Remus and Sirius. The three of them joined hands, and Harry spoke quietly.

"Swear to me to keep all of my secrets, those that I've already told you, and those that I will tell you in the future."

"We swear."

"Swear to me that you will do your utmost best to support me in the future, in any way possible."

"We swear."

"And swear to me that you will assist me in my mission of killing Voldemort when he returns, and...helping Dumbledore retire."

"...We swear."

"Very well then. So Mote it Be." Harry whispered, and the three let go. Their bloody palms were already healed, and with a quick flick of a wand from Remus, the blood was gone too.

They all sat down again on the sofa, and Harry held up the Dagger that he'd used. He just held it up silently, waiting for Remus and Sirius to recognize it for what it was.

"Oh shit." Sirius gasped, sitting upright quite suddenly. "Snape? Really?"

Harry gave him the smallest of smiles. "Don't worry. He hasn't done anything. At this point, it's more about protection. That's why he's been training me."

"At this point." Remus pointed out. "So...in the future?"

Sirius looked rather ill at this.

Harry put the dagger away. "You have to understand... Severus means a great deal to me. You guys may not like him, but I do. We may not be in a relationship...yet, but we may someday. I know you guys have your differences, but I really, really want all of you to be able to work together."

"Does anyone else know?"

Harry gave a slight nod. "Not many. Obviously the staff don't know."

"Millie?" Sirius asked, looking worried.

"She knows. Severus gave her permission."

Sirius looked a little green. "Permission? Oh Merlin..."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Look, I told you it was for protection. You will just have to trust me when I say that there is nothing going on between us at this point."

"How far in the future?" Remus asked cautiously.

"I don't know. Severus is...refusing my advances at this point." Harry said testily, and Sirius looked like he was going to be ill at any moment. "Severus is a gentleman. He wants to wait."

"...Good." Remus muttered. He took pity on Sirius. "Um...I'm going to help Sirius to the loo. Harry?"

Harry gave them a slight nod, and stood. He headed for the door, and glanced towards Sirius. "Oh, and Sirius?"

The man looked his way.

"What you're doing with your investment portfolio? Fantastic job, there."

And then he left.

Remus helped Sirius to the loo. "This is so surreal." Remus murmured to himself.

x-x-x

The end of term came quietly. Harry was glad that there was nothing to distract him from his final exams. Remus left Hogwarts just after the exams were finished for everyone, saying that he wanted to see the world a bit more. To be honest, he only went to London to live with Sirius.

Harry finally managed to learn the Patronus. His Patronus was a Panther. It was rather large, handsome, and broody. It reminded him of Severus, somewhat. As soon as he managed the spell, he told the others that they would be working on that next year for the AKDA. Everyone got very excited about this.

Harry and Dean would be staying with the Malfoys that summer, although there were bound to be visits with the Weasleys and the Bulstrodes. Dean was also going to be training with Flint heavily over the holidays, right up until Flint's wedding in August. To be honest, Harry wasn't looking forward to going to that wedding. While he was friendly with Marcus, his rejection still hurt a bit. Not many people had ever rejected him before.

However, the end of the school year wasn't uneventful for everyone.

Kneazle Voldemort was purring in his carrier, looking forward to finally getting away from Hogwarts. Spending any more time than he had to with these teenagers would be a nightmare. He couldn't stay at the school any longer, he was sure that Dumbledore was getting suspicious at all of the cats and such mysteriously dying in their sleep. He had made sure to take possession of older cats, but those were hard to find in a school full of children and their mostly brand new familiars.

Staying in the form of a cat allowed him to gain quite a bit of information. While he could not go into Potter's training room during their meetings, he did manage to find out that the children were performing excellently in their classes. He also managed to figure out that Potter did not trust Dumbledore- completely understandable, of course. He also found out that Potter had begun dating the Bulstrode girl. Potter was an inigma. He was clearly neutral at this point, with Dark friends, and Light friends. It wouldn't be so hard to take the boy on his side.

He wasn't quite sure if the boy was powerful magically, but he was certainly influential politically and financially. He would be quite the catch. Perhaps he could test the boy somehow, to see if he was skilled. He could tell the boy had been careful to reveal his abilities outside of his small group, but...there had to be a way to find out exactly how skilled he truly was.

He was off to the muggle world now, and from there, he would find a follower that had managed to contact him some weeks beforehand. Barty would be ever so grateful to escape his Father's grasp.

x-x-x

So there we go! Third year is finished, and the summer holidays are about to begin. Yeah, lots and lots more to come. Things will become so ever interesting. Please review. How do you guys think that the holidays will play out?


	28. Chapter 28

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry was in heaven. He was in Harrods with the girls, and he was having lots of fun. Currently, he was watching the girls pick out clothes for the upcoming year. According to Narcissa, they were all to get formal wear for a Ball they would be having at the school. She was a bit vague on the details, but Harry could tell that something big would be happening this year at school. Perhaps the funds that Hogwarts had received from selling off Basilisk parts would help fund a major social dance? He wasn't quite sure what the school had done with all that money, even the money that Lucius had donated. He could tell that the school brooms had been replaced, but he hadn't seen many other changes.

He didn't know, but he would find out eventually what they were doing with that money.

Hermione and Millie weren't the biggest of shoppers, and were currently standing together, whispering about something or other. Luna and Ginny were looking at sundresses, while Pansy was trying on a formal dress. Narcissa held a stack of clothing in her arms, looking rather content. Harry could tell that she loved being around the girls. They caught each other's eye, and Harry grinned.

Pansy came out of the dressing room, wearing a slinky black dress. Harry frowned as he saw how thin she was. She had lost a lot of weight this year, she actually looked unhealthy. She turned slightly to look at her figure.

"Wow, that dress looks great Pansy." Millie said with a grin. It was a great dress, but Harry didn't like the way that it showed her bony shoulders and arms...maybe he would have to talk to his friend.

"Really? You don't think my bum looks big?" The girl asked worriedly.

Hermione frowned at this. "Pansy, you're built like a twig, you are definitely not fat."

Harry could tell that Pansy didn't believe her, so he spoke up, going to Pansy's side. "You are definitely not fat, Pansy. In fact, you could do with gaining a bit of weight. Are you feeling alright?" He asked quietly.

Pansy looked down at this, a gave a slight shrug. "I'm alright."

Harry watched her go back into the dressing room, and he shook his head. Luna and Ginny hadn't noticed what was going on, but he could tell Narcissa and Hermione were quickly putting things together.

He turned to Ginny and Luna. "Have you girls picked out your dresses?"

He was glad Ginny had her stipend. While she was good to save as much as she could, she still managed to keep a little to splurge every once in a while. Harry could tell she was insanely happy to get new clothes, rather than hand-me-downs from the second hand shops in Diagon.

Ginny held up her arm, and attached were two dresses. "Do you think we could look at pants? I really like those denims, Hermione, and I think I might want a pair for myself."

Millie nodded at this quickly. "I want some too!"

Harry spoke up. "Why don't you girls go look at the pants, we'll join you in a bit."

Hermione, Millie, and Ginny went off, leaving the others behind. Harry watched Luna pull out a magenta dress with sparkly flowers on it. "What do you think, Harry?"

Harry grinned. "Very sparkly."

"Oh yes." The girl hummed. "If they had it in orange..." She made a face, and Harry helped her look for an orange dress. He glanced over his shoulder to see Pansy coming out of the dressing room, and Narcissa talking to her quietly. Pansy looked a bit upset.

Harry held out a dress. It was orange, a halter, with small yellow embroidery. Luna gasped as she saw it, clutching it to herself. She dropped whatever else she had in her hands to the floor. "This is perfect." She breathed. She skipped over to the dressing room, and Harry picked up the things she'd dropped. He looked at the odd assortment of clothing, and smiled. Luna had such an odd taste, but she made it work for her.

Harry looked over to see Pansy sniffling, as though she was trying to keep from crying. Narcissa hugged her, and the girl stiffened. She slowly relaxed, burying into her embrace. Harry sighed, and went to the dressing room. He knocked on Luna's door. "Hey, how does it fit?"

Luna opened the door, and Harry smiled brightly. "Well, you'll definitely stand out."

After shopping, Harry and the girls went for lunch at a quiet bistro. Everyone compared their buys, and talked about where to go next. Hermione really wanted to go to the book shop she'd spotted, while Ginny really wanted to look at shoes. Luna was shaping her food into a strange creature, and Pansy just sat there quietly, not really eating.

Harry nudged the quiet girl, catching her eye. Pansy gave him a small smile, but he could tell she wasn't really all that happy. Harry murmured to her quietly. "If you eat as much as you can, I'll buy you that perfume you were looking at earlier."

Pansy blinked at him in surprise. She gave him the slightest of nods, and began to eat slowly.

x-x-x

They returned to the Manor to find Draco and Lucius in the parlor, going over some of Draco's Healing books. Lucius was trying to be supportive of his son, but he really didn't know all that much about Healing. They had a lot of books in their library on the subject, but he'd never really read them.

"Lord Malfoy." The girls curtsyed. "And Draco." The greeted.

Harry blew them a kiss and wink. "Have a fun day, boys?"

Draco looked at him oddly, but answered. "Yes. Now leave us alone."

Lucius nudged his son, frowning. "Draco, don't be rude to our guests." He stood, and went to his wife, kissing her cheek. "Have fun in the muggle world?"

The woman nodded, holding up her shopping. "Oh yes. Girls, why don't we all gather in the drawing room for some tea?" She had the elves take her and Harry's shopping bags away, and the rest of them left for the drawing room.

Harry could tell Hermione and Ginny were a bit awed by the lavish home, and Luna might have too, but she didn't really show it. Dean was lounging on the sofa, looking exhausted. He was wearing black robes, but they were dusty and worn. Narcissa flicked her wand at him, knocking his dirty combat boots off the sofa. "Dean! How many times do I need to tell you?"

Dean just gave her a roguish grin, sitting up slowly. "Sorry 'Cissa. Hullo girls. How was shopping?"

Harry sat in the armchair while Luna and Ginny sat on either side of Dean, while Pansy perched on the other armchair. Hermione glanced around, and Narcissa saw, bringing up the loveseat for the two of them.

"Shopping was great. How was your day?" Harry asked, eyeing the boy's robes. What had been up to?

Dean ran a hand through his dreadlocks casually, and Harry saw a few scrapes on the boy's hands. "Ah, bit of this and that. Marcus wanted to pass on a message."

"Oh." Harry said quietly, feeling worried. "Excuse us, girls."

Harry and Dean left the room, and went into the hallway. "What's going on?"

Dean leant against the wall, ignoring the screeches of a portrait nearby. He suddenly looked exhausted, and he was favoring one of his legs. He was clearly hurt. "First Mission was today. I only just got back."

"Oh. You okay?"

"...Mind if I stay with you tonight? I...I wouldn't ask, but..."

"Nonsense." Harry gave him a gentle hug, now knowing he must have been injured. "Do you want me to take a look at you?"

Dean gave him a slight nod. "Later, it's nothing serious. I'm going to get some rest, tell the girls that it was good seeing them."

Harry nodded, and he went back into the drawing room. Millie looked a bit suspicious, but none of the girls said anything. He sat back down in the armchair, wondering if Dean was alright.

"Dean's tired. He and Marcus started training, I'm afraid he's worn out."

"Flint? Why would Marcus Flint be training Dean?" Hermione asked.

Harry glanced at Narcissa. The woman stood. "Excuse me ladies, I just remembered I have something I need to do." She murmured, and stepped out of the room. The girls glanced at each other at this, and Harry flicked his wand towards the door, raising the spells he often used for their practice room.

"All of us on the floor, girls." Harry said, sitting on the floor. The others joined him, some immediately, like Luna and Millie, and other a bit more hesitantly like Hermione and Pansy. Ginny was clearly curious as to what was going on, but she still sat.

"All of us are friends here, right? And we're all members of the AKDA. We all have our secrets in the group...well, I have more to share with all of you, but I think we keep these secrets even better protected."

"What do you mean?" Hermione whispered.

Harry took out his dagger. "I can't tell anything unless you swear."

It only took a moment for them to agree. Harry knew they would. He'd known these girls for a while now, and some of them had more than proved their trustworthiness.

Harry took the dagger to their palms, and spoke quietly, each of their hands grasping each other tightly. "We are at war."

The girls looked shocked at this. Harry continued to speak, tightening his grip on Millie's left hand, and Pansy's right, as he had sat between them.

"We are at war, but the world doesn't know it yet. Voldemort is not dead. Dean and I saw him in our first year. Dumbledore knows, as does Severus. Hermione, that troll back in first year was let in by Voldemort. When I fell on the Quidditch pitch back in first year? That was also caused by Voldemort. The Basilisk, the Diary-" Ginny tensed at this. "That was Voldemort too. This group isn't just about learning Defense and brushing up on our studies. This is about protecting yourselves. From now on, things will be different. All of you are mature enough to know exactly what is going on. I don't want to keep things from you anymore."

Millie spoke first. "I will follow you, Harry." She whispered. "I trust you."

The other girls exchanged a look. "What about the Headmaster?" Hermione asked quietly, and both Millie and Pansy rolled their eyes.

"The Headmaster knew. Didn't he?" Ginny asked, almost sounding fearful. A tear escaped her eye as Harry gave her a slight nod.

Millie jaw set. "Well girls, I think Harry is our best option, don't you? What do you want from us, Harry?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I want all of you to work the hardest you can to learn how to protect yourselves, and teach others how to do the same. There will be times when we need to collect information and keep secrets. Not only do I intend to kill Voldemort, but I want Dumbledore to retire, so he can keep his hands off of our lives."

The other girls gave their vows, and he healed them silently. "All of you will have specific duties to do. I've already had Pansy, Daphne and Hannah training with Draco on healing, for our healing team. In time, the others will take their vows, when they are ready. Draco and the other boys...I don't know if they would want to do it." Harry paused. "Dean already has. I didn't even have to ask."

Hermione spoke quietly. "That's why he sneaks out all the time."

Harry looked at her sharply. "What?"

Hermione looked a bit guilty. "I saw him leaving the common room one night after curfew. I followed him until he got to one of the secret passages."

Harry laughed. "When was this?"

"...back in first year. I thought he was going to meet up with you." She murmured.

Harry sighed. "I send him out to do things from time to time, yeah. I'm not allowed out of the school on my own anymore. Severus' orders."

Pansy spoke hesitantly. "Professor Snape is involved in this too? And you follow his orders? I...I thought you were in charge."

Harry blushed slightly at this, and Millie spoke up with a grin. "Snape is the exception...he's sort of an advisor to Harry."

"Oh."

"Master, do you want us to wear uniforms? Wear a Mark?" Luna asked dreamily, and all the girls stared at her in shock.

Harry laughed out loud. "I love you Luna. And no. No uniforms, no mark. Stuff like that only provides more evidence."

"...We're not your Deatheaters Harry." Hermione bit out, eyes narrowed. "What exactly are your aims once we...um, kill Voldemort and have...Dumbledore retire?" She sounded skeptical as she sounded this. It was a bit of stretch, gaining control over the two most powerful wizards in recent history.

"Honestly? I just want to be left alone. Make a bit of money off of my investments, make sure the world is a safe and happy place for all humans and creatures, blah, blah, blah..." Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Harry, don't joke." Hermione said in all seriousness. "Inequality is a huge problem in the wizarding world."

"Don't you think I know that? Look, all of you are smart girls, and all of you can change the world if you put your minds to it. If you guys want to do that, I will be happy to help. This thing isn't all about me, you know. When I was younger, all I wanted in the world was to have a home, a family, and a decent meal every night. I've got more than that now, and I'm good with what I've got. Now we just have to make sure everyone else can have that too. I am happy, but there a lot of people who aren't. I say...if you want a cause to fight for, _fight for them_, Alright?"

The girls stared at him. Harry stood. "Now, who wants some tea?"

Luna's arm shot up in the air.

x-x-x

Draco stood outside Harry's bedroom door, his ear pressed up against the wood. He had been out there for the past twenty minutes, listening to Harry and Dean talking. He even thought he'd heard crying at some point. He backed away slowly, so as to not alert them that he was out in the hallway. He went to his own room silently, and sat on the end of his bed, trying to figure out what to do.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that Thomas was training with Flint, and he was being recruited as a Hitwizard. To Draco, a job like that was something dangerous, something that the most elite and powerful wizards did. People like Draco and his Father could not work in such a job because of the high mortality rate- they were the last of their line. Potter, for the same reason. If he'd been offered such a position, he must have been very, very powerful.

Thomas seemed to be the exception to many rules, when he had come to the wizarding world. He was the muggleborn that all the purebloods seemed to like, even the traditionalists. Well, most of the time. He was the muggleborn that got along with his Father just fine, the muggleborn that won duels and even caught the newspapers attention.

What was more, he was Harry Potter's best friend. At first, Draco couldn't see what Potter saw in Thomas. But then he realized- where Thomas was dangerous, Potter was doubly so. He just didn't show it as often. He was the brains behind the brawn, as his Father called it. According to his Mother, Potter made friends easily because he was charming and attactive, and knew how to play to people's strengths. And he was powerful.

Draco, of course, knew he was all those things as well, but what made him so different from Potter? He had tried to gain a following the previous year, but it seemed as though any time he was alone with his friends, all they wanted to talk about was Potter. After Potter had nearly kicked Zabini's ass, he'd seen and heard all of his friends fall back into line instantly.

Draco resigned himself to finding friends elsewhere, until Potter accepted him back into the group with open arms. Not only that, he gave Draco a chance to prove himself worthy, to prove to the others that he could lead as well. And now he was teaching the others healing spells. It didn't hurt that Draco was good at potions, and so knew quite a bit about salves and potions that could heal sickness and pains. At this point, he just didn't have a lot of practical experience.

Draco stood up abruptly, and went to his trunk. He took out several vials, and went across the hallway. He knocked on the door briskly, heart pounding. He was going to make himself useful, dammit. He didn't want to be alone anymore. Something was going on with Potter and the others, he knew it, he could feel it deep inside him. And he wanted to be a part of it.

Potter answered the door, wearing that stupid girly looking dressing robe, and looked down at the vials in his hands. He allowed Draco inside, not even hesitating. Draco halted as he entered the room. It was dimly lit, the only light was on Potter's bedside table. Thomas was dressed down to his skivvies, and he looked like he was in terrible pain. He'd been bandaged up on his leg, but Draco could tell he was bleeding through.

Draco went to Thomas' side. "What happened?"

"Dean...was injured."

Draco knew not to ask. They wouldn't tell. He unwrapped Thomas' bandage, and quickly dosed him with a numbing potion, as well as a blood replenisher.

"Why didn't you take him to St. Mungo's?"

"...Can't..." Thomas wheezed. Draco winced internally, knowing that had been a stupid question. Of course Thomas couldn't go to St. Mungo's. Too many questions. And they would have undoubtedly let people know what Thomas had been up to.

Draco drew out his wand, and tapped the injury. He whispered the incantation, watching the dark skin knit itself together.

"It's going to leave a scar. If you brought him to me straight away, it wouldn't be as visible." He said snidely, giving Thomas another potion, to prevent any poison that had likely been on the blade from spreading through his body. "Any other injuries?"

"No." Potter said quietly. "Thank you for your help."

Draco stood at this, putting the empty vials in his pockets. "Just be thankful that I'm around when you get into your scrapes, Thomas."

Thomas' dark eyes looked exhausted, but grateful. "Thanks."

Draco headed for the door. Potter followed him, clutching the robe tightly to himself. "Look, Draco, I'm sure you have questions..."

"Not needed. I already know." Draco said quietly. "You're family, Potter. We don't have to like each other, but we do take care of each other." He glanced at Thomas. "Just tell your little boyfriend to keep it down. I need my sleep."

Potter rolled his eyes. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Whatever." Draco said, and went back to his room. He cleaned his vials, and went to bed, with a better conscious, and a better outlook.

x-x-x

Millie felt rather nervous, being at Daphe's House. She hadn't been there, since they were small children. Once upon a time, she had been the ugly little thing that no one wanted to play with. And now...well, now things were different. She sat on the sofa in their drawing room, sipping tea just like a lady ought to be. Daphne and Tracey were quiet, sipping their tea as well, waiting for Hannah and Susan to arrive.

Daphne's little sister, Astoria, opened the door, allowing Susan and Hannah to come inside. Astoria was a cute little thing, about to enter her first year, and was as curious as a cat. And a lot friendlier than her older sister. "Daphne, your friends are here." The girl chirped. "What's going on?"

Daphne stood, greeting Hannah and Susan. Both girls were a bit nervous. They had a right to be. Both of them were from strictly Light sided families, and the Greengrasses were anything but Light. Their parents would not be happy if they found out they were here. They both took down the hoods of their traveling cloaks.

"Tea?" Daphne asked primly, and the two girls nodded, sitting in the chairs that Daphne motioned to. Millie was rather jealous. Daphne was excellent at all the proper pureblood wifely things to do. Millie always forgot such things, and it made her feel clumsy and stupid. She was always rather glad that Harry didn't care about that sort of thing from her.

Everyone sat with their tea, and Millie just had to get out with it, forgetting about propriety.

"I asked for everyone to meet today for something important. It's about...the club." Millie blurted. The other girls lowered their teacups.

Daphne looked to her little sister. "Astoria, go to your room."

"No. I want to stay!" Astoria protested. "I'll tell Mum and Dad you had people over while they were away!" She threatened.

Daphne looked to Millie. Millie sighed roughly. "Will she talk?"

Daphne looked to the eleven year old. "If we let you stay, will you keep whatever we discuss to yourself?"

The girl nodded quickly, grinning widely.

Daphne sighed. "Very well then. Close the door."

With the door closed, Millie cast the spells to make the room safe. "It's about the AKDA-"

"What's that?" Astoria interrupted.

Daphne pursed her lips, looking a bit pissed off.

Millie set her tea aside, grinning. "It's called the Ass-Kicking Defense Association. We're all members."

"Wow, that's so wicked!" The girl cried. "Can I join when I start this year?"

"No." Daphne bit out.

"Oh, why not? I bet Mum and Daddy don't know about this group you're in-"

"Fine, just shut up!" Daphne hissed, and Millie smiled at finally seeing little miss prim and proper Daphne lose her cool for a moment.

Millie grinned, leaning forward. "Well, actually, I need all of you make a Vow." She said, drawing out the Dagger Harry had given her.

All the girl's eyes went round, seeing the Dagger.

"Where did you get that?" Tracey asked, looking scandalized.

'I borrowed it from Harry. He lent it to me for this. Actually, he said he will be taking me to get my own set soon."

"Your own set..." Daphne whispered, looking horrified.

"Are we going to make the vow or not?" Millie growled.

"I'm in!" Astoria said gleefully. "What do we do?"

Daphne shook her head. "Astoria, you will not be making any vow, ever, do you understand me?"

"Well then, I'll just go floo Mum and Dad, then..." Astoria sniffed, getting up from her seat.

Millie stood. "Astoria, if you do this, there's no getting out. You should know what you're getting into."

Astoria raised her chin, looking unafraid. "Tell me, then."

Millie toyed with the Dagger in her hands. "Hard work. A lot of hard work. We will be training, dueling, advanced spells. We're not doing this just for classwork or protection anymore." Millie said, trying to keep her voice steady. It had seemed so easy when Harry had done this. It had sounded so easy when Harry asked her to do this.

"What are you talking about, Millie?" Susan asked worriedly.

"I can't say anymore. Not until the vow."

The girls were silent for a moment. Even Astoria looked a bit nervous now.

Hannah and Susan both nodded, followed by Tracey. They all looked to Daphne. She sighed. "Very well then."

Millie pointed to the floor with the dagger. "All of us will sit on the floor together. Palm to Palm. I will have to use the Dagger." She said quietly. Everyone arranged themselves on the floor, and Millie set about using the dagger. She hesitated as she came to Astoria.

"Astoria, you don't have to do this."

"Whatever's going on, I want to help." The girl said stubbornly.

Millie could see Daphne shaking her head, but Millie began to cut Astoria's palm anyways. The girl hissed at the pain, but Millie knew it would heal once the vow was made.

Later on, after the vow, all the girls sat on the floor, looking rather dazed.

"Are you sure, Millie? Are you sure he will be back?" Susan whispered, looking a bit frightened.

"If Harry is sure, then yes. I am sure. We can't let the guys do all the fighting. We can't let what happened last time happen." Millie said earnestly.

Susan shuddered. "My entire family except for my Auntie and myself were killed. All the children were slaughtered, the women raped and murdered, their husbands..." She groaned. "I have to tell my Auntie." She whispered, hiding her face in her hands.

"Susan, no. Not yet. Harry and Dean, they've been gather information, trying to get people together. If we alert people from the Ministry, it could make things move a lot quicker. We need to plan, to prepare, get things ready." Millie said, trying to calm the girl down. "We can't fight a war tomorrow. We're not ready. But...hopefully, when it does happen, we will be ready."

"Astoria, you can't fight." Daphne whispered. "You'll be with me, on the healing team, if you still insist on being a part of this."

The little girl nodded, for once not fighting her sister.

Millie took a deep breath. "So...all the girls have taken the vow, in addition to Harry and Dean. The other boys...haven't. And I'm not sure if they will be keen on it. Our job this coming year is to gain more members to the AKDA. They won't necessarily know all the information we know, but we need more people to back us up."

The girls nodded at this.

"And our training will be a lot harder this year. Prepare for broken nails, bruises, the whole lot. We can't fool around anymore."

"So, what, you're Harry's second in command now?" Tracey asked, frowning.

"No." Millie bit out. "I haven't asked him, and I'm not going to. Honestly, he doesn't even want to be the leader of all this. He doesn't want to be involved in this at all. I know him. He'd be much happier just hanging around his room, reading magazines and brushing his hair."

The girls giggled at this, as they knew Harry would do such a thing.

"He is a bit vain about his looks, isn't he?" Hannah joked.

Millie coughed. "Anyways, so all of us need to do our part. Gather information where we can, try to pick up new spells and whatnot that could help us. And recruit, once we get back to Hogwarts."

Astoria spoke up brightly. "I could help! I'm really good at sneaking, I could spy and nobody would even notice me 'cos I'm going to be an ickle firstie..."

Millie grinned at this. "I like how you think, Astoria." She gave the girl a wink. She breathed deeply at this, and leant back. "So...oh, the girls and I went shopping, in the muggle world!"

"The muggle world? Really?"

x-x-x

Sirius grinned widely as he saw Remus at the kitchen table, the table filled with books and papers. He snuck up behind him, and was about to grab him when Remus spoke up.

"I heard you, you know."

Sirius pouted, and wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders. "You always hear me. I could never sneak up on you." The man leant in, kissing Remus' cheek. Remus closed his eyes at the touch, bringing his hands up to Sirius' arms.

"Siri...it's been so long. I don't know if we could try again..."

"Please Moony. I missed you like mad in that stupid cell." Sirius kissed Remus again, and nipped at his ear.

Remus shuddered, and Sirius grinned. He knew he'd gotten him there. Remus' grip tightened on his arms, and he turned his head slightly to kiss Sirius on the lips. Sirius groaned as his one time lover finally kissed him. He'd missed this so much. He was being picked up before he knew it, books flying off the table. He laughed wildly as his brand new shirt was ripped open, buttons flying everywhere.

Lips attacked his, and to Sirius, it felt just like it used to. "Oh Moony...I missed you..." He breathed, groaning. His trousers were undone as lips attacked his neck, and he could feel Remus preparing him hurriedly.

"I missed you too, Bitch." Remus said roughly, and with one thrust, the old werewolf was inside. Sirius groaned, arching up. He closed his eyes, feeling a tear escape, with a big grin on his face. He loved it when Remus could finally just let go, and finally unleash himself. It was feral and divine, and he never ever wanted it to end. He'd thought he'd lost this forever.

x-x-x

"He's never talked about me?" Marcus asked again.

Dean scowled, wand still trained on their target. "Not lately. Not after you ditched him. Now, shut up." Dean growled. He barely winced as his spell hit the target. The target would be dead within the hour, looking as though he'd had food poisoning go horribly wrong. He and Marcus left the alley way silently, sticking to the shadows. They ducked inside a stoop, taking off their cloaks and reversing them. Dean flicked his wand, vanishing his glamour. It had been strange, looking like a white boy for a minute.

He swallowed some bile down as he and Marcus headed into Diagon Alley casually. Everything was so...happy and bustling. Children played freely on the streets, and clerks sold their wares. Life went on, unknowing of the danger that laid so close by. He flinched slightly at Marcus grabbed his arm.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." Dean said quietly. "I'm fine."

He knew he was doing the right thing. That guy had killed innocent people, wizards and muggles alike. So why did he feel so bad doing it? Yeah, he was slowly adding a bit of money to that vault of his in Gringott's, and he had met all sorts of people, and had access to all sorts of information...but was it worth it? He looked around the street again one last time before they headed to the Leaky Cauldron. Yeah...it was worth it.

x-x-x

Harry was dreaming. His scar ached in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time. He was in a dark, dank house. A man was at his feet, bowing to him. He wore a black cloak, unable to see his face. A hand came up, and Harry felt terrified. It looked as though it was his hand, but it was so tiny and shrivled...

"My Lord, I am so very thankful for your assistance in my escape." The man simpered.

Harry knew what was happening then. Oh Merlin.

"You will be rewarded, my dear one. Very much so. After all, you've helped me attain my homunculous, so that I no longer have to possess whatever poor creature happens to be near me... speaking of which..." Harry saw an extremely large python slither into the room.

_"Master, there is a muggle here. He's old, but fleshy. May I eat him?"_

_"Yes, my pet." _

Harry sat up abruptly, feeling as though he was about to hurl. He got up from his bed quickly, throwing his dressing robe on, and running from his room. He ran into the parlor, to use the floo. He had to talk to Severus, right now.

x-x-x

Dun-Dun-Duuuun! A lot happened in this chapter. Hope you guys could keep up with it all. I added a bit of Remus/Sirius action in there, to tide you over. I can assure you, things between Harry and Severus will start heating up pretty soon. Thanks for reading, and staying with me. This story is getting to be huge. :3

A/N: I edited this again after someone awesome pointed out a few typos. As it's rather late where I live, please let me know if I missed any. Again. Thanks.


	29. Chapter 29

Love In the Dark

* * *

Thank you for all of your fabulous reviews. Keep them coming, they inspire me! I know some of you are sad about no mpreg- if you want to read some of my mpreg stories, I have them. Check out my profile, yo. Oh, btw, all of you are going to be ridiculously happy in a minute. XD

x-x-x

Severus looked pale and ashen as Harry told him about his dream. It was 3am, yet here they were in his cramped old rowhouse, sitting at his kitchen table.

"Oh God."

Harry went around the table and hugged him, hands shaking. "I know. I...I didn't want him to return so soon, but..." He whispered.

Severus held him tightly, burying his face into Harry's shoulder. "What are we going to do?"

They sat there for a long moment, and Severus straightened up, mind racing. "The Dark Lord does not have a proper body yet. He will obviously be planning a way to get it back. He is in a weakened state, defenseless. If I could go to him, perhaps..."

"No!" Harry gasped. "No, don't you dare go to him." He begged.

Severus' eyes softened. "He will kill me if I don't go to him when he calls."

"He will kill you if you do. It was all over the papers that Dumbledore claimed you were his spy."

"But I am useful to him. And I could get information."

"No. Absolutely not." Harry shook his head, clutching the front of the man's robe. He was nearly on top of him now. "I don't want you dead, I don't want you to leave. I can't have you risk your life."

"I must, Harry. How else can I help you?" Severus murmured.

"You stupid man..." Harry pulled Severus' face to his, and they _finally_ kissed.

Severus reacted, squeezing him tightly around his waist, deepening their kiss. Harry groaned, and Severus slipped his tongue inside Harry's mouth. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was picking up the boy and pushing him up against the wall. As Harry wasn't wearing anything underneath that girly looking robe of his, all the man had to do was push that robe aside, and have glorious skin pressed up against his bare chest.

Harry threw his head back, and Severus attacked his neck with fervor, throwing all caution away for once.

"Need you..." Harry panted, sliding his hands into Severus' scalp. "Please...I've wanted you for so long..."

Severus growled against his lips, nipping them. They continued to kiss as Severus carried him into the next room, the sitting room. He shoved Harry down onto the sofa, and got on top of him, yanking his pajama pants down. All he could focus on was the soft skin underneath him, the gasps in his ear, the hands in his hair, and...words. Beautiful words.

"You're so beautiful. I need you. Take me. I'm yours. Always...please...Sir..."

It seemed so natural to start preparing him, and when he entered...they stilled for a moment, locking eyes. Those eyes. That smile, that face.

"Harry..." He whispered. That smile widened, and those eyes looked so happy.

Harry held him tight as he slowly thrust in and out of that tight ass, nails scratching down his back as he quickened the pace. He gripped that long black hair in his hands, tugging hard as his thrusts turned faster, wanting to get deeper inside the boy. It was almost bordering on painful, this need.

He finally came, he came so hard that he was shaking, and breathing like he'd ran a marathon. The boy underneath him was the same, trembling and gasping for air. Severus laid on top of him, feeling sticky and sweaty, and so...good. Better than he had in a very, very long time.

He slowly withdrew, and Harry groaned softly at the sensation. Severus looked at the boy beneath him, brushing his bangs back gently.

"Harry..."

Those green eyes slowly opened, a lazy smile forming on those pretty lips. This was the Harry that he liked to see.

"Yes sir?"

"I think we should go to the bedroom. I'm not as young as I used to be, and if you want me to ravish you all night, we'll need a mattress."

The boy's grin widened at this.

x-x-x

Harry laid in bed, watching Severus. The man was watching him back. It nearly six, and the sun was making its way through the window now, rising above all the tiny rowhouses of Severus' neighborhood. Harry lazily traced the man's arm with his finger.

"Not another." Severus murmured. "I'm exhausted. We never did get to sleep, you insatiable brat."

Harry grinned at this, watching the man lean over to the bedside table. His eyes lit up at the cigarette box.

"Oh, I'm dying for a smoke..."

Severus arched a brow, and handed one over to Harry after taking one for himself. He watched Harry light his cigarette with a snap of his fingers. The boy leant forward, wriggling against him as he pressed the end of his cigarette to Severus', lighting it.

They laid there, smoking in bed, watching the smoke drift above them.

"You know...we really shouldn't be smoking in bed." Harry said idly.

"You really shouldn't be smoking at all." Severus said, taking a drag.

"Bad influence." Harry said coyly, shoving at the man's shoulder. He winced as he sat up on the bed, leaning against the wrought iron frame. It was a sad looking little room, but he did like the view. Severus sat up as well, shoulder to shoulder with him.

Harry glanced over, looking at the man's chest. He was built extremely well. He had a dusting of hair on his chest, making Harry want to run his fingers through it. His skin was pale, and it was littered with scars. Undoubtedly from his childhood, and his Deatheater experiences. He hadn't really gotten a good look earlier...he had been preoccupied at the time.

Harry caught Severus' eyes, and saw the wary expression.

"I like scars." Harry flipped up his bangs. "I'd have to, remember." He said cheekily. At the man's stony expression, Harry rolled his eyes. "Darling, don't be like that. I think you look fucking fantastic." He moved to straddle the man. He ran his hands over the man's bare shoulders and arms. He wriggled his bottom against Severus' spent cock. Even when it wasn't hard, it was still rather large. It had been painful, being taken unprepared, but...it was worth it.

He pressed a soft kiss against the man's shoulder. Severus sighed, wrapping an arm loosely around his waist. Harry rested his head on Severus' shoulder, a small smile appearing.

"What will we do now?" Severus asked quietly.

Harry raised his head. "Live happily ever after?"

The man rolled his eyes, taking a drag of his cigarette. "I mean, about your dream. About the Dark Lord."

Harry frowned, pouting a bit. "Oh. Well, we will tell Lucius what I saw. We will make a plan."

"If he calls me..."

"You will not go." Harry said. "Please." He begged. "I need you. Here, with me. I can't lose you, Severus."

Severus nodded slowly. "Okay." He murmured. "I will not go to him."

"Thank you." Harry breathed, kissing him.

x-x-x

It was nearly 9am when Harry and Severus finally flooed back to Malfoy Manor. The Malfoys, and Dean, were having breakfast when they arrived.

"Harry, where have you been?" Narcissa asked worriedly, and Lucius' brows rose as he saw Severus with him.

Dean was instantly on alert, Harry's expression was completely serious. The two of them looked completely exhausted. They had cleaned up, of course, before coming to Manor.

"Lucius, we need to talk to you in private." Harry said quietly.

Draco spoke up, frowning. "What's going on?"

Lucius stood, putting his napkin on the table. Narcissa started to get really worried now.

"Father, what's going on? Potter, whatever you have to say to Father can be said in front of us."

Harry and Severus exchanged a look.

"Lucius, let's go to your study." Harry murmured. Lucius nodded, knowing that something had happened, something important. He started to head towards the door, but Draco spoke up.

"Father, are you just going to take orders from him?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry's eyes flashed, and he turned to Draco. "Draco, you have no idea what's going on." He hissed. "This is important business. It doesn't involve you."

Narcissa spoke carefully, looking to her husband. "Perhaps it is best that we know what's going on. Is it to do with the Dark Lord?"

Draco paled at this, looking disbelieving. He looked to Severus for confirmation.

"It is." Severus murmured.

Lucius sank into his chair, trying to keep calm. "Has he returned?"

"Not yet." Harry said quietly. "But he will, soon. He's contacted a follower of his. With this follower, he could get his body back. We need to make a plan."

"...Father?" Draco whispered. "What's going on? I thought the Dark Lord was dead."

Dean spoke up, throwing his napkin on his plate. "What do we need to do?"

Harry and Severus exchanged a look. "We need information. Lucius..."

"Of course. I will start asking around. See what I can find. See if I can figure out where the Dark Lord is hiding. If I have to return to him, I will..."

Narcissa looked frightened at this. "Lucius..."

"I must, Cissa." Lucius murmured. He glanced at his son, who looked so terribly confused about all this.

"You don't have to do anything, Father. A Malfoy bows to no one, right? This...Dark Lord, he's without a body, so you could just curse him and be done with it, right?"

"...I'm afraid it won't be that easy, son." Lucius took a deep breath.

"How did you find out that the Dark Lord was able to contact a follower?" Narcissa asked carefully.

Severus spoke. "Harry had...a vision. They are connected through his scar. This happened last night, and we've been trying to figure out a plan of action."

Dean raised a brow, seeing Harry shift slightly at this. Oh yeah, he bet there was some action involved.

"I will contact some of my associates, then." Lucius murmured, and left the room before anyone could stop him. Narcissa looked pale, and Harry could see one of her hands trembling.

Dean stood as well. "I will talk to a few people myself. You want me to contact..."

Harry gave a quick nod. "Yes. Please do."

Dean left the breakfast table, leaving Draco and Narcissa there.

Draco was staring at Harry now, trying to figure out what was going on. "You're ordering my Father and Thomas about...who are these people Thomas is contacting?"

"It's best that you don't know." Harry said quietly, looking to Narcissa. "Cissa...are you okay?"

"I'm...fine." The woman whispered, and blinked, as though clearing out her thoughts. "I...will ask around too. See if there's anything that my friends have heard. Excuse me." She murmured, and left the table.

Harry turned to Severus. "Sir?"

"I will let the Headmaster know what you saw. Perhaps he can help us find the Dark Lord's location with the memory you gave me."

Harry squeezed his arm. "Please be careful. I don't want you being alone outside the school, if you don't have to be."

Severus gave him the slightest of nods, and left.

Harry turned to the last remaining person in the room. Draco was staring at him.

"Why are they all taking orders from you?"

Harry sat next to Draco, fiddling with the button his his shirtsleeve. It was really Severus' clothing he was wearing, but only shrunk down to fit him. Hopefully none of the others had noticed this.

"Draco...there's a lot going on that you aren't aware of. It's dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm not a baby. I helped you and Thomas, didn't I? What's going on?"

Harry looked at the blonde for a long time. "If I tell you...you must take a vow."

Draco gave him the slightest of nods. "Alright then."

x-x-x

"The Minister of Magic invited us to sit with him at the World Cup." Lucius said late that evening, after a long day of gather information. Everyone was sitting in the drawing room, looking rather exhausted.

"Ugh, really?" Harry asked. Severus was gone, at the school. He would be staying there permanently from now on until Voldemort was gone. It would be quite a while, but at least Harry knew he would be safer there. Still, Harry really wanted to cuddle with him right now.

"Yes. It would actually be good for us to go. Not only are the foreign Ministers will be sitting with us, we can help provide protection if needed. I...believe that some of my old associates might be up to something."

Narcissa paled. "Thousands of Witches and Wizards will be there, it could be an international catastrophe."

Dean spoke up, staring pensively into the fireplace. "From what I've heard, it's just a few old purebloods looking to get their jollies. Want to scare a few people, that's all. I don't think they'll set off bombs or anything. We keep alert, keep a close eye on the guys who make the trouble, and keep the Minister and all the other snobby rich people safe."

Harry hid a smile at Dean's words. Only Dean would word such a thing that way. "You're right, but we best not underestimate them. If we're sitting in the Minister's Box, not only can we can keep them safe, but we can also network with them, give them a buzz in their ear about what's going on. Any other members of the Ministry will be there?"

"Arthur Weasley and his family." Lucius sneered. "As well as the Diggories, Bagman, Bartemis Crouch, and the Bones' family. They will all be sitting near us."

Harry glanced to Dean, who nodded. "I'll sit with the Weasleys." Dean said. "It wouldn't look strange. And I'll keep an eye on them."

"I could sit with Susan and her Aunt." Harry offered. "I'm friendly with Susan, so it wouldn't look odd."

Lucius shook his head at this. "No, you will be expected to sit with us, I'm afraid. And we want you to meet with the Foreign Ministers."

Harry sighed. "Alright." He murmured. He ran a hand through his hair. "Spoke to an Auror friend of mine. She said that Security will be pretty tight, of course. I told her to be careful, that people might cause trouble. Considering the girl was trained by Moody, I won't need to tell her to be vigilant." Harry smirked slightly at this.

"What Aurors do you know?" Draco said frowning.

"Does it Matter? Draco, do you think you could brew some healing potions for us? Severus is going to be busy enough as it is, and I'd like to have a stash, just in case. The World Cup is in a week. Will that be enough time? Will you have enough supplies?"

"Well..." Draco floundered, eyes widening. "I...of course, I can start brewing straight away. I'll need to refill my kit a bit, but..."

Harry glanced to Dean, who nodded. "Dean can get you whatever you need." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I've got to talk to Sirius and Remus."

x-x-x

Harry was at the Burrow with Dean, and it was two days before the World Cup. The two of them had been invited over, and they would meet up with the Malfoys and the others at the World Cup. Harry was really only here to keep Dean from freaking out- he could tell the boy had been high strung lately. Severus couldn't be around- as soon as he'd told Dumbledore about Harry's vision, the man was working around the clock on helping raise protections for the school. What with the Triwizard Tournament coming up, there would be a rather large chance that the school's security would be at risk.

Unlike previous visits, all of the Weasley clan were there. Bill had come in from Egypt, while Charlie had come in from Romania. He liked both of them instantly. He kept to himself, mostly, studying them. Bill was tall and lanky, built a bit like Ron and Percy. He had long auburn hair, about the color of Ginny's. He dressed pretty cool too, with piercings and all. Mrs. Weasley was always complaining about the way he dressed. He worked as a cursebreaker for Gringott's. He'd been Head Boy during his time at Hogwarts, and he was extremely talented.

Once he'd heard that Harry was taking Ancient Runes, something that none of his brothers had bother to taken, Bill struck up a conversation with him about it. Harry liked him quite a bit, and promised to keep in touch. Of course, Bill was very cute, and wickedly funny, but Harry got the feeling that he didn't swing that way. Not that he was interested, of course. He had Severus to ravish him, and he couldn't wait for their next time, whenever that would be.

Charlie was a cutie too. Short and stocky, but built extremely well, he worked as a Dragon Tamer over in Romania. He was very funny and charming, and Harry could definitely tell that Charlie was smitten with him. Harry tried to play it cool, saying he had a girlfriend and such, but he got the feeling that didn't matter to the guy. Harry had yet to speak with Millie about the latest development between himself and Severus, and he wasn't sure how to bring it up. Any way he said it in his head...it just sounded bad. 'Oh look, we were both upset, and shagged, it was a spur of the moment. I didn't really cheat on you...' Yeah, that would go over well.

While he wasn't talking to the older brothers, he pulled the twins aside and made to have them bring whatever gear they'd been making. After talking to them about the possible danger, they were more than happy to pack some of their gear in their bags. Better to be safe than sorry.

Harry could tell that Ginny loved having Bill and Charlie around. They spoiled her rotten, and Harry could see that they cared for her a great deal. He'd quietly informed her to keep close to her brothers during the Championship, that people might act up with so many people around. She interpreted that correctly, and she spent the rest of the evening, shut up in her room, studying the book of spells that Bill had given her.

Ron...was clueless, as usual. He avoided Harry like the plague, and when he wasn't, he was insulting him for being a 'dirty, rotten, Slytherin'.

He was rather surprised when the Lovegoods showed up the day before they were to leave, saying that they had managed to get seats at the last minute, in the press box. Thankfully, the Press box wouldn't be too far away from the Minister, so Harry and the others could keep an eye on them.

x-x-x

Dean watched Luna fiddle with a long piece of grass. He was following her on her walkabout around the Weasley property. It was late in the evening, and they would be leaving by portkey for the World Cup first thing.

Luna hummed to herself, bending down to pick up another blade of grass, attaching the bits together. Dean sighed roughly, looking about, hand on his holster. The Weasleys had been one of Dumbledore's strongest supporters in the last war, and if Voldemort returned, it was likely that they would be attacked.

"You shouldn't worry so." Luna said dreamily, affixing another blade of grass to the others.

Dean looked over at the odd girl. "You know what's going on. I know Harry told you."

Luna gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. "Yes. Harry told me that Voldemort fellow is defenseless and in the form of a homunculus. In that form, he will unable to travel magically, or possess any creatures. I believe that Voldemort will not attack us until he has gained a proper body back, and has gotten his followers. Such things take time. Planning. I do not think he will be attacking so soon." She murmured, turning to Dean.

Dean was taken aback momentarily, seeing her bright silvery eyes in the moonlight. She gave him a gentle smile. "You are tense." She looked down. "You worry. Don't." She whispered, and drew nearer to him. He took a step back, slightly, unsure of what she was doing. How did she...

"How did you know?"

Luna wrapped the makeshift grass bracelet around his wrist. "There. That will help clear your thoughts."

Dean stiffened as her fingertips brushed against his skin. He wanted to pull away, but he couldn't. Such a casual touch thrilled him more than all the groping and snogging he'd ever done with Susan and Hannah. Their eyes met, and Dean tried to make sense of it all. He wasn't attracted to Luna- she was just a friend. She was strange, and she wasn't even all that hot...

"You are a good friend, Dean." Luna whispered, eyes unblinking. "But remember...Harry asks things of you, but he never _orders_ you to. You always have a choice."

"...I owe him a great deal." Dean murmured.

Luna hugged him, and Dean stiffened in her embrace, closing his eyes slowly. "Friendship is not about owing one another."

x-x-x

Squee! I cannot tell you how insanely happy I am with this chapter. Please let me know if you liked it too. XD


	30. Chapter 30

Love In the Dark

* * *

I'm so happy that you were all happy with the Harry/Sev interaction in the last chapter...er, well, some of you were more than happy, you were...ecstatic. Ahem. And I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks Dean and Luna are adorable together. :3

x-x-x

Harry stood by the Weasley's tent, looking around at all the people. Witches and wizards from all over the world were there, thousands had gathered in this space. It was kind of amazing, really. Thank goodness for wizard tents- you could fit entire families inside them. Of course, everyone was supposed to keeping a low profile because of the Statute of Secrecy, but people were sort of forgetting that. Except for Mr. Weasley. The man was struggling to light their camp fire the muggle way.

Dean was standing next to Harry, hand on his holster. He was wearing a brown leather jacket he'd recently gotten, with a white shirt and denims. His version of muggle passed a lot better than some of these other wizards were attempting...Harry saw an old man wearing a woman's nightgown . Harry could tell his friend was tense and worried. Harry nudged him with a small smile. He glanced towards Mr. Weasley, and Dean grinned, relaxing a bit, going to help the man light the fire.

Harry returned to looking at the crowds surrounding them. He wore black robes made out of light material, something that he would be able to move easily in, and he would blend in easily tonight, when it was most likely for an attack. His hair was pulled back in a plait, and he wore comfortable shoes. He wanted to be prepared for anything. He looked good of course, he did have to meet the Minister after all. And who knew who else.

He waved slightly to Cedric and his Father as they passed with their gear, looking for their spot to set up. The Diggorys didn't live all that far away from the Weasleys and the Lovegoods, and they had all portkeyed together. Cedric was one of the more popular boys at Hogwarts, a Hufflepuff. He was a sixth year this year. He and Harry said hello in the corridors often, but didn't really travel in the same social circles. Perhaps this year, at Hogwarts, Harry thought it might be a good idea. After all, his Father worked with the Ministry, and from the rumors he'd heard, Cedric wasn't all that bad in his classes.

He watched a toddler with his Father as he did a bit of accidental magic. He smiled slightly as he watched them, taken with the small child. He thought about what it would be like having his own kid. He'd probably completely fuck it up. He'd be a horrible influence. But...it would be kind of cool to have a kid, one day. Of course...he'd have to adopt, which was fine with him. There were lots of kids in the world that needed homes, and he had been among those numbers at one time. Hmm.

Luna came out of nowhere, speaking up. "Looking forward to seeing the match, Harry?"

Harry jumped. "Oh yes. Luna. Where is your tent?"

"Oh, we're in the northwest, next to the muggle's station. Daddy wanted to see the muggles up close. It's a bit far away from the stadium, but we're not really here to see the game."

"...You're not?"

The girl just smiled. "No, silly. Don't you know this area is prime snorcack country? We thought with the crowds, it might draw them out if they got curious."

"...Oh. Well...good luck with your hunting."

Luna glanced over at Dean. "Your friend Dean, is he...still dating Hannah and/or Susan?"

"...Uh no. He broke it off with them ages ago." Harry said, watching her look at him. Dean had managed to get Mr. Weasley's fire lit, with the help of a bit of wandless magic.

"Oh. Well, I think your friend is...a bit sad. And worried."

"I aware of that, Luna." Harry murmured.

The girl gave him the slightest of nods. "Very well then." She then called out to Dean. "Dean, Daddy and I will be in the northwest camp. Feel free to visit us when you have the time!" She then skipped away. The twins whistled at her, while Ron wagged his eyebrows at Dean.

Dean just rolled his eyes.

x-x-x

Harry met up with the Malfoys as everyone was getting to their Stadium was huge, towering high up above the ground. Security was extremely tight around the Minister's box- Harry must have seen at least ten Aurors in uniform. Bagman introduced the teams, and Harry was somewhat impressed by their mascots. He really wasn't into quidditch all that much, but he couldn't help but admire the way that Krum flew.

The Weasleys were sitting directly behind them, while the other Foreign Dignitaries were sitting on either side of them. The Malfoys, of course, were sitting in the Minister's Box. The Bulgarian minister was a great big man, and spoke with a strange accent. He pretended to not understand English very well, as Fudge gabbed his ear off even before the match began. Harry watched the man. He clearly did not want to be sitting there, he was bored. And annoyed by Fudge. Harry completely understood. Fudge was speaking very loudly and slowly, so that the Minister could understand him, but...it was sad to see.

Lucius was just letting him dig his own grave, trying to hide his smile unsuccessfully. Draco was scowling up at Ron, who was throwing peanuts at him. Narcissa was quiet, listening attentively to one of the American officials that were sitting at her side. Harry sighed, and leant forward, so that the Bulgarian Minister saw him.

The man's jaw dropped as Harry casually adjusted his bangs.

"You are Harry Potter?"

Several other officials turned at this. Harry smiled sheepishly at this. "Yes, I am."

Fudge clapped Harry on the shoulder, beckoning him forth. "Yes, this is _the_ Harry Potter! Oh look, Harry, the cameras!" A little thing suddenly flickered in front of them, a device that was clearly recording the audience and the game. "Wave Harry!" The man held him tightly, and Harry pasted a smile on his face, feeling uncomfortable.

The Bulgarian Minister motioned for Harry to sit next to him. He motioned to the woman at his side. "I am Anton Petrov, The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, and this is my wife, Galina." Glina was rather attractive, with dark hair and dark eyes. With her jawline and such, she reminded him somewhat of Severus.

"Nice to meet you both." Harry greeted, shaking hands with the Minister, and giving a slight bow to the man's wife.

"Do you enjoy Quidditch, Harry?" Galina asked with a smile. Harry sat down in the offered seat next to the Minister. He ignored the stares that were being sent his way by Fudge and the others.

Harry smiled slightly. "I'm not really into Quidditch, but I do enjoy watching other people fly."

Galina pointed to Krum, who was currently high above the crowds, looking for the snitch. "Viktor is my nephew. He is a very good quidditch player. He started in the national leagues when he was fourteen, one of the youngest ever!"

Harry smiled at this, the woman was clearly proud of her nephew. He liked that. "You sound very proud of him."

"We are. Tell me. Mr. Potter, what do you think of the upcoming Triwizard Tournament?"

Harry smiled. "I think it will be a lot of fun seeing everyone compete. I'm excited to meet the representatives from Durmstrang and Beaubaxtons."

Galina smiled at this, patting Harry's shoulder. "Yes, what did that Bagman fellow call it?"

"International Magical Cooperation." Anton said, looking up at the skies. "Ah! Looks like he's going to fient."

Indeed, Krum did do a wronski fient. It was rather amazing to watch.

The game was soon over, and people were starting to leave the stadium. Harry followed the Bulgarians closely, as Anton clearly wanted Harry to meet Viktor and his parents. Somehow he got separated from everyone else in the crowd, and that made him rather nervous. The press were all over the place, their cameras flashing as they took pictures of both teams. Many of them were all bloodied up and the like. Anton and Galina shook hands with the Bulgarian team, with Harry being shoved about by the unwieldy press.

Anton ushered Harry forward, and Harry inhaled sharply as he met Viktor Krum for the first time. He was an extremely attractive young man. He could see why all the girls were crazy for him. He towered over Harry's 5'5" frame, hitting at 6'4". He may have been a few inches taller than Severus, even. Harry wished the boy didn't have a buzz cut- it didn't do anything for his features, but...damn. Even with that bloodied nose, he looked hot.

"Viktor, this is Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived!' The man said excitedly. The press took even more pictures now, and started yelling questions at Harry. Harry ignored them all, and shook Viktor's hand.

"You ever get tired of it?" Harry murmured as he drew close. Viktor's hand was much larger than his, but held his hand very carefully, as though Harry would break. The boy offered im the smallest of smiles, and understanding glimmered in his eyes. He gave a slight nod. Harry's smile widened at this.

"You'll be at Hogwarts this year?"

Viktor let go of his hand, glancing towards the press. Ah, the press didn't know yet.

"Of course. Well, I'll see you then. Good game, Viktor."

"It would have been better if we had won." Viktor said gruffly, his low voice clearly showing that he was upset.

"But you still did your best. As long as you do your best, then that is all that matters." He paused, and spoke even quieter. "Be careful tonight. There may be trouble. I would suggest not...drinking."

"Trouble?" Viktor grew slightly worried.

"Just heard some rumors. Thought I ought to warn you. You know how it is when big groups of people get together after a few firewhiskeys."

"...I see."

Harry said his goodbyes to the Minister and his wife, as well as the Bulgarian team. He shook hands with the Irish team, for posterity's sake. He even got a signed Quaffle from them! He walked back to the Weasley tent much later, after getting a bit lost. Ron Weasley became insanely jealous as he learnt about what Harry had been up to.

x-x-x

Harry was getting ready in the Malfoy's luxoriously large tent when Lucius came out of the room that he and Narcissa shared, looking grave. "I will be expected over in the Northwest, near the muggles. I just recieved word." He murmured. "All of you...be safe."

And then he left. Harry, Dean, and Draco, who'd been sitting at the table, all froze. After a moment, Dean started to pull on his jacket, and grabbed his gear. Draco pulled on his cloak, hands trembling as he filled his pockets with the potions he'd prepared.

"No magic. We can't use underage magic in front of everyone. Only use defensive spells, if you must. If we are caught, our wands will be undoubtedly tested." Harry murmured, pulling his cloak on. "Are you two ready?"

They both gave a silent nod.

"Right then. We'll head over to the Weasley tent now."

Narcissa came out of her room, looking a bit pale. She gave a small smile to her son, and then Harry and Dean. "All of you be safe. I will have the rooms ready in case any of you are injured." They all nodded, and suddenly Narcissa hugged her son tightly. She looked as though she was about to cry.

"Mother..." Draco wrestled out of her arms, glancing to the other boys. He was blushing with embarassment.

Narcissa smiled slightly at this. "Be safe!" She called out after them as they left.

The three of them made their way to the Weasley camp. Harry noted that the Irish were getting their drink on, singing songs and dancing- well, that wouldn't be happening for long. They froze as they heard a loud explosion in the distance.

"Hurry!" Harry gasped, and they walked quicker to the Weasley tent. Because of the celebrations around them, everyone hadn't noticed what was happening. They neared the tent, and there was another explosion, this time it was bigger. They saw a large light in the distance, it look like something was on fire...

Dean gasped. "That's the Northwest Camp. Luna and her Father are there!"

Harry frowned. "Alright, head on over there. We will be on our way soon. Draco, do you..."

Draco gave the slightest of nods, following Dean, pushing through the crowds that were just starting to come out of their tents. Harry approached the Weasley's tent, seeing Arthur, Bill, and Charlie leaving the tent, wands ready.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Arthur asked, looking scared. "Get inside the tent-"

Harry shook his head. "No. The explosions are going off in the Northwest camp. Luna and her Father are over there. Dean and Draco ran off before I could tell them to stay..." He ran a hand over his face, sheilding his eyes slightly. "We need to help them." He said quietly, trying to will himself to cry.

"...Alright then. Charlie, alert the Aurors, if they're not already there. Bill, come with me..." Charlie ran off.

"Dad, what's going on?" One of the twins poked their head out.

"Stay in the tent! Look after Ron and Ginny! Go to the woods, if they get to close!"

"...But we want to help..." George said, the others now getting out of the tent.

"Go to the woods! It's not safe." Arthur murmured, and turned to Harry. "You too, Harry."

"No! I'm going to the Northwest camp. I can't just leave my friends to die. Hurry, there's no time to waste!"

And he was off. Harry ran, and he was aware of the others following him. As they got nearer and nearer to the Northwest camp, they ran into a great number of frightened familes running in the opposite direction. This was a disaster. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that the twins and Bill were closest to him.

Harry made a slight movement with his hand, just as they passed some flaming tents. Harry saw the Aurors finally, and saw a small number of Bulgarians dueling men in black cloaks and masks. Deatheaters. Harry drew his dagger, and the twins started throwing the things that they had prepared. Bright bursts of fireworks illuminated the area, effectively lighting the way for duels.

Harry gasped in relief as he saw Dean and Draco dueling, Draco with his longsword, Dean with his dagger. Luna was actually using her wand pretty effectively, using shields over the two boys to block them from spells.

Everyone quickly jumped into the fray. Harry moved mechanically, stabbing and slicing his way through the crowd. Someone lunged for him, and he dropped to the ground, kicking the guy, sending him sprawling to the ground. Harry quickly got up, stabbing him in the thigh, in a place where it would be extemely painful if he stood or walked, let alone if he was dueling.

Harry worked his way through the crowd in complete silence, the twin's fireworks lighting the way, their pranks turning the Deatheaters into strange...things. At least they were distracted or unable to duel. Ginny was shielding her brothers very well, and managed to send off a few hexes their way. Ron stood behind them all, clearly frightened and unable to defend himself.

Bill and Charlie joined the fray at some point- where was Mr. Weasley? The two brothers were amazing duelists, but Harry couldn't watch them too closely, as he was a bit busy.

Harry lost his dagger, the one he usually used, so he drew out the blade he kept in his boot. He flicked it, and it grew longer, like a sword. Dean had found it ages ago for him in Knockturne. Harry was grabbed and whirled around, a blade at his throat. He recognized Krum for a brief moment. The man's eyes widened.

"Potter..."

"Krum." Harry gasped. The man's blade left his throat, and the two of them turned their backs to each other, dueling the Deatheaters. They were effectively distracting them long enough to keep them from attacking more of the camp, keeping damages minimal.

Finally, more Aurors arrived, and the Deatheaters fled, leaving behind a couple of injured men. One took a portkey away, and the other one, who was clutching his leg, the one that Harry had stabbed, still laid on the ground.

Then...the Dark Mark was spelled into the air, making everyone go silent and freeze.

Cries of "Stupefy!" surrounded them, and Harry and his friends managed to duck in time.

Mr. Weasley pushed his way through the Aurors, looking frightened.

"Who cast the Dark Mark?" Crouch called out, wand trained upon the group that remained.

Harry held up his hands, as did the others.

"They're just children, Minister, those are my sons!" Mr. Weasley cried, and his children went to him.

Dean and Draco led Luna towards the group, and Harry flicked his sword, shortening it back to the small blade. He caught Krum's eye, giving him the slightest of nods.

Harry looked for the lone deatheater, and found that the man had vanished. Shit. All of that for nothing. No one to interrogate. He cursed quietly to himself.

After the Aurors checked everyone's wands, Luna and Ginny were forgiven for their use of underage magic, and all of them were commended for their bravery. Harry stuck to the back of the group, not wanting to be noticed. He was successful in this, as Tonks was the one who ended up checking his wand. Harry gave her a look, telling her to keep quiet about his identity for now, and she obliged.

The good part of this was, the damage had been confined to the Northwest camp, and that there had been very few injuries. There was more property damage than anything. Still, with the sighting of the Dark Mark, people were scared about what that could mean. Harry knew that Voldemort hadn't been there. He couldn't have been.

For days afterwards, the papers would speculate that it was just a prank gone horribly wrong, or a group of drunken rabblerousers...well, no one said the word Deatheaters. Harry suspected Fudge may have been trying to keep everyone calm. After all, news of the Dark Lord returning would be bad news.

In the following days, Lucius was quiet and withdrawn, gathering information. There had been more among their numbers than even he had suspected. Obviously the Dark Lord was recruiting, but how?

x-x-x

Harry laid in bed with Severus, curled into his side. They'd met up at his place for the night, since they needed to talk, and Harry couldn't go to Hogwarts without alerting the Headmaster, because of Hogwart's floos being monitored. Severus had told him that the Slytherins would not be allowed to use his floo any longer to see their families, that he would be the only one to use it. Which also meant that they would have to take the train to and from their homes during the holidays. Harry rather hated that, but if it would keep the school safer, then so be it.

So they met up at the old rowhouse, and the two of them laid together in bed, just having finished fucking. Severus was like an animal in bed, and Harry loved that he could let go with him.

Severus laid panting next to him, arm draped over his eyes. Harry let out a sigh, a small smile on his face.

"Fuck, that was good."

Severus chuckled softly. "We didn't come here just to fuck."

"I know. Just...give me a minute." Harry rolled onto his side, wriggling into the man's side. He draped an arm over Severus' chest, kissing the nearest bit of skin he could find. "Alright...so..."

"In addition to the floos being monitored, portkeys cannot be activated within the school. Portkeys will only be able to be activated during the Tournament itself, out on the grounds, so that people can watch the games."

"Alright." Harry murmured. "Of course, no one can apparate within the grounds already, so..."

"Right, so the strongest points of danger will be right before, during, or directly after the Tasks." He paused. "Whoever will be participating will have a hard time ahead of them."

"Oh?" Harry asked, perking up. "You know what they will be facing?"

Severus gave him a Look. "Yes. And it's dangerous. Don't even bother getting your hopes up. They raised the age limit this year, so only those who are 17 can particpate."

"I don't want to be in that Tournament- I've got enough going on." Harry rolled his eyes. "So...what are the tasks?"

Severus reached over, stroking his thigh gently. "Well, Albus told us that the first task will somehow involve Dragons..."

"What!"

"That's what the staff said." Severus mumbled. "But these tasks were designed by Bagman, Fudge, and Dumbledore, so who knows what will happen. I only know that three Dragons will be at the school in time for the first task, and a sphinx will be there for the final task. I do not know any other details yet. I do know that there will be a Yule Ball."

Harry pouted. "Too bad you can't take me."

Severus rolled on top of him, taking Harry's face in between his hands. He kissed the boy beneath him gently.

"Harry, I would have loved to take you, but...people wouldn't approve. You know this."

"I know." Harry kissed the man deeply. "Guess you'll just have to keep me locked up in your rooms this year, Professor. That Viktor Krum is very handsome..."

Severus' eyes grew wary, and Harry swatted the man's arm. "Seriously, Severus, I was only joking."

The man didn't laugh. Harry frowned, sitting up. "Do you honestly think after...after everything, that I would just leave you for a cute face? No." Harry hugged him gently. "I care for you a great deal Severus." Harry whispered, kissing his neck. "No one else can even come close."

x-x-x

Whoo! Fourth Year will be starting in the next chapter! Thanks for reading guys. Please review.


	31. Chapter 31

Love In the Dark

* * *

I know a lot of you have been asking in reviews for my other stories, about when I am going to update them. I only have one discontinued story, the rest of them are still in progress or already completed. Of course, all of the Variety chapter stories are up for adoption- I may return to them when I have time. The thing is, I've been updating this story here almost every day, or every other day. I'm writing as I go along, which is different than I normally do. I usually write stuff months in advance, and then post it after editing a million times.

I really don't want to lose momentum for this story, and that is why I've been keeping to this one. Currently, I have 12 stories being edited/written in my doc. manager box, and a couple of them are chapters for some stories that I've already started to post, or brand new stories. I want to concentrate on this story first, and finish it. I started this story over 2 years ago, got stuck on chapter nine for those two years, and I suddenly came back to it. So...yeah. Don't want to get stuck again. And I won't be likely to, if I just keep to this story. Anyways, all of your reviews are helping me quite a bit, and they give me inspiration. The more you review, the more likely I will update!

I have a lot going on in Real Life too. If you've read my profile, you'll know that I'm actually an artist by trade. I illustrate books (I've been published lots of times), have my work in galleries, hell, I even won first place at my last show. Go me! I sell my work online too, if you want to buy it, hint, hint.

**If any of you live in the New England area, I will have a table at the Garden City Art Festival, in Cranston, Rhode Island. It will be on June 9th and 10th! **

I've been doing art ever since I could hold a pencil, and I've wanted to be an artist since I was 3. I didn't actually start getting into writing until I was in college, when I was introduced to fanfiction. XD Ever since then, I've been reading and writing fanfiction like crazy. If you guys want to check out my art and things, go on my profile for the info.

Anyways, on to the story!

x-x-x

Millie and Harry sat side by side in the Malfoy's garden. The girl was pale, and quiet. Harry had just told her what had happened between Severus and himself. Not only had they had sex, they had it more than once. and Harry was fully expecting to do it again with the Professor during the year as well. Unless he started being a gentlemen again, and Harry really hoped that would not happen. Sex with Severus was so much better!

"Mil? You okay?"

"...I'm okay." The girl murmured, looking down at her lap. "...I should have...expected it. I mean...you're so beautiful. It was only a matter of time before you two got together."

Harry sighed. "Millie...I'm sorry. You're a lovely girl. And...I do like being with you."

Millie looked his way. "Are we staying together? Are we breaking up? I'm confused."

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "If you want to break up with me, it's okay. It's just...you and Dean are the only two out of all of our friends who know about me and Severus. I trust you. I...I know you won't talk. It's just...with everything coming up, people will expect us to start dating, and...I know you can't come out. I can't either. People will say things. Maybe...one day we can live openly, but...not yet."

The girl wiped a tear away quickly, not wanting Harry to see her cry. "Did you ever love me?"

"Of course I do." Harry said, hugging her tight. "It's just...a different kind of love."

"...I know. I've wished a million times over that you were a girl, that you wouldn't want to leave...but...I know it frustrates you, that I can't..."

Harry shook his head. "No. I will never make you do something you don't want to do, Mil. If you want to break it off, and find someone else...you can."

"What did the Professor say?"

"What?"

"He probably said something about this. About how to break it off with me. What did he say?" The girl said, her voice getting a bit firmer.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "He said that we should stay together. He's okay with us even fooling around. He said to let you see other people on the side, if you wanted. We...just have to be really careful about this. With the Tournament happening, the press will be around. It's just... if people saw we were still dating, we will be less likely to be approached."

"You mean _you_ will be less likely to be approached. Nobody ever wants me." Millie whispered, looking as though she was going to cry again. "I love you Harry, I really do. And I understand why, but it still hurts. Even though I knew this wouldn't be forever, it was...nice, having you all to myself for a while."

Harry didn't know what to say to this.

Then Millie asked. "So...how is the Professor anyways? Did it hurt? I mean...I don't want details, but... how did he make you feel?"

Harry held her close, kissing the top of her head. "Well...he makes me feel...small. Insignificant, as though I am just...like everyone else. I don't have to be strong for him, I don't have to protect him. He...takes care of me."

Millie stared at him for the longest time. "And you need that...don't you? I...bet you get tired...looking after everyone all the time." She paused, and spoke again, her voice even quieter.

"It's...strange. Sometimes, I feel as though you are the most powerful, most influential thing in my life. Bigger than everything else. That...everything revolves around you. When you move, it's...inspiring. Like...I want to capture your movements in a drawing or a painting. And your magic, it's so...overwhelming. I know you don't think you're all that great, but...I know you are. You have the potential to be something amazing...and yet..." She smiled. "You made me want to take care of you. You made me want to try to tame that power, and...I know...it's weird, but..."

Harry shook his head, a smile growing on his face. "No, it's not weird at all. Mil, you want to control. You grew up with no control over your own life. You felt weak, defenseless. You've come out of your shell, yes, and you've become more outgoing, and now you want to take control of your life, of..." Harry hugged her. "Oh Mil, I'm so happy. I knew you had potential."

"Potential?"

Harry shook his head. "You'll make some subby girl really happy one day."

Millie was a bit confused at what he was saying. "What potential are you talking about?"

Harry took her hand into his. "You're strong. Stronger than you know. I know you can do it."

"Do what?"

Harry pressed a kiss against her cheek. "Control. You see...when you take charge of a group, you have to put some effort into it, or no one will listen. It helps to have their trust, to think from different perspectives. You have that. See, what I do right now with our group, is delegate tasks. I watch everyone, to see what they are skilled at. Dean is already very good at this, and I trust him to delegate tasks to the others. When I had you talk to the girls earlier this summer? That was the same thing. I will help you this year become even stronger, and give you more control over the group."

"But...you're our leader, Harry." Millie said with wide eyes.

Harry shook his head. "Me? No. I'm just the face. The figure head. I honestly don't want to lead the group. I only do it because I have to, because I'm good at it. I honestly don't enjoy doing such a thing. On the other hand, I know for a fact that Dean is good at delegating tasks and leading a team. And you, you have the potential. I know you can do it, I've seen you."

"Me? But..."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not going to be around forever, Mil. What with Voldemort targeting me and such...I don't want the group to fall apart without me. You lot have the potential to change things, to help our community. While I'm all for that...I really just want to stay at home and maybe have a family one day. I don't want to lead a revolution, I don't want to take charge of anything. That's not really me. I'm just helping you guys find your stride, and guide you when you need it."

They hugged for a bit. Millie couldn't believe that Harry thought that about her. She didn't know if she could do such a thing...a revolution? Really? Would it come to that?

"But...I'm a girl. I'm not the heir of my family, everyone expects me to marry well and pop out lots of pureblooded babies..."

Harry grinned. "But you don't _have_ to. And Dean, Dean is a wildcard too. Both of you stand out, and many others will be able to identify themselves with you because of your backgrounds. See, you two are perfect."

"...I don't know how you see that, Harry."

"You will."

Millie sighed, shaking her head. She tried to make sense of it all, but it was all rather overwhelming. She was the girl that everyone teased growing up, she was the girl that all the boys ignored, she was the girl who was strange because she liked other girls- how could people identify with her? And why would Harry choose her? Why had he chosen her to date with, of all girls? Why would he choose Professor Snape as his lover?

"You could be with anyone in the world, and yet...you chose the Professor. Why?" Millie asked, wanting to know. She had to know, it just didn't make sense to her.

Harry let out a small laugh, smiling. "He understands me. He...gets me. He knows that I don't want to feel strong all the time. He understands why I would want to...submit to him. He sees all of my faults, all of my weaknesses, and he still cares for me. That's all I want."

x-x-x

Harry sat in the train compartment, trying to gather his thoughts. The girls were sitting with him, and most of the other boys sat in the next compartment over with Dean and Draco. A great number of Slytherins dropped by, saying hello. He was now the 'Leader' of the Slytherin House, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. Astoria was sitting at his feet, talking excitedly with Hermione and Luna about what classes would be like that year. Millie sat next to him, and Ginny sat next to her. Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey sat across from them. Susan and Hannah were also sitting on the floor. The compartment was really only made for a maximum of six people, but all the girls had insisted on sitting with them.

The compartment door opened, revealing Vania. The girl's lips pursed together as she looked around the cramped compartment. Her eyes fell on Pansy, who'd gone quiet. She then spoke to the compartment. "All of you, leave."

Harry spoke. "Vania, there is more than enough room in the other compartments."

"We need to talk about your duties this year." The girl sniffed.

"Then talk." Harry stated calmly. He could tell Pansy did not want Vania around. He wondered if Vania had been the one to pressure her into losing that weight. He wouldn't have been surprised.

Vania looked down to Hermione and Luna, and then to Ginny. Ah, the non-Slytherins, then. Well, Harry wasn't about to ask them to leave.

Harry stood. "Excuse me girls, I will only be a moment." He said quietly.

Harry followed the girl out of the compartment, and into the narrow corridor of the train. Vania glanced around, and Harry sighed internally. He really, really, did not like this girl.

Vania opened a compartment door, revealing some second year Slytherins. "Out."

The kids spilled out quickly, looking nervous. Harry took a calming breath as they entered the compartment, trying to control his anger. Vania turned to him, hands on her hips. It was then that he noticed that she wore a Head Girl badge. Great. Just great.

She saw him looking, and she smirked. "So. Flint made you Leader of our group this year, but Flint isn't around. I don't know what he was playing at, but you better think twice about taking control of Slytherin. No one will listen to you, no one will even want to talk to you. I'm Head Girl this year, and I'm in Seventh Year. No one will listen to you." She hissed. "You're just a fourth year. Yeah, you might have a bit of money to throw around, and a pretty face, but that won't get you anywhere."

"You done?" Harry asked, eyes narrowed.

The girl raised a brow.

Harry grabbed her by the front of her cloak, making her eyes widen. Even if he was shorter than her, she got a little scared. "Listen here, _bitch_, I know what you're doing. You will _not_ take control of Slytherin House. Flint left me in charge for a fucking reason. I don't know how you made Head Girl this year, and I don't really want to know, but if you try to pull something over on me, you will regret it."

The girl pulled away from him, her own face hard. "You don't know anything about being a proper Slytherin. I don't know what Marcus saw in you anyways." She paused, looking at him carefully. "Of course...you and he did have a thing didn't you?"

"...what?" Harry's eyes widened.

The girl laughed, and it was cruel and cold. "Oh, come on! I'm not an idiot. I saw the way he looked at you." She almost sounded jealous when she said this.

"I don't open my legs for any guy I see, unlike you Vania." Harry hissed, terribly angry. He wasn't like that anymore! "Your accusations could land you in a Blood Feud, if you aren't careful. Get the fuck out of here."

The girl left, a scowl on her face. Harry took a deep breathing, leaning face first into the wall, trying to calm himself down. What the fuck did she mean, she'd seen the way Flint had looked at him? They hadn't done anything in years, not since he'd gotten betrothed. Marcus was a married man now, and Harry was still underage...if she knew anything for sure, both of them would be in terrible trouble. He had a feeling she was all talk. She couldn't have any strong evidence, or else she would have come forward earlier. Still, this potential blackmail spelled trouble.

x-x-x

Harry was sitting in the Great Hall, along with all of his other housemates. Millie sat on one side, Draco on the other. Astoria had been Sorted into Slytherin, and was sitting next to her sister across the table. The Hall was buzzing with the latest announcement from Dumbledore, about the Triwizard Tournament. It hadn't exactly been printed in the newspapers yet, but Harry was a bit surprised at how many people didn't know about it. Quite a few people threw a fit when Dumbledore announced that only students 17 and older could participate, which meant only seventh years for their school.

Harry didn't mind. He knew if there hadn't been an age restriction, he definitely would have been expected to submit his name. He did not want to get involved in this tournament, thank you very much. Beaubaxton's and Durmstrang would not arrive until Halloween, giving the two schools time to get their contingents together, and to get Hogwarts ready.

Harry noted that the Defense Teacher's chair was empty, and he wondered who was going to be teaching the class this year. According to Severus, the Headmaster was scrambling to find a Professor. Just as everyone began their meal, the doors opened with a bang, revealing... Mad Eye Moody.

Harry's eyes went round, and whispers filled the Great Hall. The legendary Mad Eye would be teaching them! Harry had heard quite a bit about the man from Tonks' letters, and he was suddenly looking forward to Defense Classes. Wary, yes, but excited. He knew Moody would have quite a bit to teach all of them. He just had to write Tonks!

The first week of classes was always a challenge. Guiding the first years to their classes, fielding questions off about the AKDA, settling into going to classes again...homework. But Harry had missed Hogwarts. He always did. He unfortunately did not have classes with Moody until that Thursday, but he did hear quite a bit from the students he taught before them.

Fred and George said that the man was wicked scary, but brilliant, and had praised them on their use of fireworks at the Quidditch World Cup. The younger students were frightened of him, of course, but Harry told them stories that Tonks had told him, to help them understand the man a bit better. Astoria had taken to following him around, and had made a friend named Rose Zeller. She was a quiet little thing, the exact opposite of Astoria, but the two girls were fast friends. Astoria asked him if she could join the AKDA's recruiting meeting that they would have the following week. Harry agreed.

Colin also asked if his brother Dennis could come to the meeting too- he had just started his first year as well. He looked just like his older brother, and he was as cute as a button. Harry agreed, hoping that they would get lots of new members this year. It would be fantastic if they managed to expand to Durmstrang and Beaubaxton students once they arrived, but he would see.

Class with Severus was always fun. The man usually ignored Harry during class for the most part, too busy on trying to keep Neville from blowing up his potions. Harry loved to see him all riled up. It was unfortunate that they hadn't been able to have time alone together, but once everything settled in, they would. At least, that's what Harry hoped.

Then...Thursday arrived, and Moody's class was that afternoon. Harry arrived a bit early, wanting to talk to the man privately before class started. He didn't want to come off as a brown noser, but Tonks had told him so many stories, and...well...the man really knew his stuff. He'd been through not only the reign of Grindenwald, but also Voldemort's first rise to power. Dumbledore had undoubtedly hired the man this year to help protect the school.

Harry fiddled with the strap of his bag as he entered the classroom. There were all sorts of detectors placed around the room, charts and obscure books that Harry had actually read himself. He stopped as he looked at a book. He gasped, picking it up.

"Aye, lad Good book there. Guess ye heard of it?"

Harry whirled around, and saw Moody in the back doorway of his classroom, to what led to the man's office. Harry gave a slight nod, setting it down.

"Auror Moody." Harry greeted, giving the slightest of bows. "I've heard a great deal about you."

Moody stomped his way towards Harry, his magical eye whizzing about the place. "I'm sure you have, lad. So, you're Harry Potter. Hm. Thought ye'd be taller."

Harry shifted slightly at this. Lots of people said that. He tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, taking a step towards the man. "I'm actually a friend of an old student of yours."

"Student?" Mad Eye went to his desk. "Really? Who?"

Harry frowned slightly at this. As far as he knew, Mad Eye had only taught Tonks in the past five years, no one else. He was very selective about who he taught in more recent years.

"Oh...you know. She's still in training, but I reckon she'll be an amazing Auror one day. She told me all sorts of stories about you."

Harry watched the man watching him. Something felt...wrong. Harry looked away, giving a slight shrug of his shoulder. "Sorry I'm a bit early. I suppose the others will be arriving soon. Do we have assigned seating?"

"Nah, ye can sit anywhere."

Harry sat down right in front, closest to the door. He started to get his book out.

"Ye won't be needin' that today, lad." Harry put his book back in his bag. Moody eyed him.

"So...yer a Slytherin. Bit surprised about that. Both yer parents were in Gryffindor, if I remember correctly."

Harry sighed. He heard this a lot as well. "So I've heard."

"I was rather shocked ter hear that you were adopted by the Malfoys!"

Harry furrowed a brow. "Yes. Back in my first year."

"...Guess you already know that they're Dark wizards, then, right?"

Harry bristled defensively. He wasn't exactly a Light wizard himself.

"Yes?"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, luv, I jus' don't want you messin' around with the likes of that trash."

The man grumbled under his breath, and Harry found himself a bit puzzled. The other students started to come into the class. He waved to Dean and Hermione when they sat down next to him, Millie sat behind him, tugging on his plait. Harry rolled his eyes at her, and everyone settled into their seats pretty quickly.

And the class began. Harry was beyond shocked to find the man was casting Unforgiveables right in front of them. Yes, it was spiders, but casting such a spell would be an automatic trip to Azkaban. Moody must have gotten permission, right?

And...perhaps he was just seeing things, but...that man looked as though he was enjoying casting those spells.

After the class ended, and everyone left, Harry lingered behind. He glanced to his friends, and they went off. He had to be quick, he knew that some of them would wait outside for him. Especially Dean.

"Professor?"

"Jus' call me Mad Eye." The man called out.

Harry approached him, careful to stay just out of reach. Sure, it didn't matter much with a wand and all, but he still didn't want to tip the man off.

"Sir, about those Curses...I...I've heard to cast those effectively, you really have to enjoy casting them. I thought they wouldn't work otherwise."

Moody gave him a hard look. "Yer right, lad. With a person, it wouldn't work. But these are spiders, so...they're of weaker constitution, yeah?"

Harry felt a bit sick at this. "I suppose so. It's just...I feel those sort of spells aren't very...useful. If a Dark Wizard caught me...I would think he would want to be a bit more creative with his methods. You don't need to be powerful to use those spells- after all, the Deatheaters weren't the smartest lot, right? They used those sort of curses as a crutch. I...I know there are a lot of Dark spells out there that could hurt a person much more effectively. Those should be Unforgivable as well."

Moody gave him a long look, and Harry's nervousness mounted. Something was off here. Something wasn't quite right.

"Aye, they are."

Harry looked away. "Well...I should be getting to class, then. See you later, Professor."

Harry headed for the door, palming his new dagger with a quick move.

"Potter?"

Harry turned slightly. "Yes sir?"

"Say hello to yer Professor Snape for me, will ya? He and I go a ways back."

Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he left the classroom. His hand was trembling.

"Harry?" Dean asked worriedly.

Harry glanced around the corridor. "I have to talk to Severus. I'll tell you everything later, when I have answers."

Dean gave him a slight nod, and Harry strode off.

x-x-x

So...what do you guys think? Do you think Harry will figure it out this early in the term, or do you think it'll take him a while? Let me know what you think. I loved the reviews everyone, keep it up! Thanks for reading.


	32. Chapter 32

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry was shoved up against the wall, and was snogged rather thoroughly. Harry groaned, gasping for breath as he pulled his lips away. Severus' hands slid up and down his chest, one of them going into his hair, the other groping his bum. Apparently, Severus was rather glad to see him.

"Severus..." Harry groaned. "I came to talk to you about something..."

The man nipped at Harry's ear, picking him up. "About what?" He breathed.

Harry closed his eyes, mouth dropping open. "Not that I love you snogging the daylights out of me in the middle of the afternoon, but I know you've got one more class, and...there's important things to talk about."

Harry pulled away, catching his breath. Severus look a bit ruffled looking, his normally pale skin flushed. How had the top two buttons of his robes come undone? Had he done that?

"What's wrong?"

"Moody."

The bell rang, and the two of them frowned. "Look, you go to your class. I'll wait in your quarters." Harry said with a smile. "We'll spend the evening together. How about that?"

Severus gave him a smirk and a nod. "And you can tell me all about Moody's class later. And don't break anything." He called out, leaving his office, going into his classroom. Harry could hear students entering the classroom.

That...had not been the smartest thing to do. He and Severus would definitely get caught, if they started doing things like that. Harry sighed, going into the man's private Quarters. Harry worked on his Charms assignment while Severus taught his class. They would only have an hour to talk, unless they both skipped dinner, and by what Moody had said...perhaps it was best for them to...not be gone at the same time right now.

Harry sighed, rolling onto his back. He was sprawled out on the floor in front of Severus' fireplace, his notes surrounding him. He fiddled with his quill, running a finger over the feather. Things were so...complicated. Was it too much to ask if he could just...be left alone?

He threw the quill aside, and got up from the floor. He loosened his tie, rolling up his shirt sleeves. Ugh, he hated these school robes. Severus came into his quarters when his class was over, and Harry had a drink ready for him. The man downed it gratefully, and sat down on the sofa. Harry sat at his feet, leaning his head against Severus' knee.

Harry sighed, closing his eyes as Severus' hand carded through his hair.

"How was the class?"

"Terrible. I hate Gryffindor/Slytherin Mixed classes. Doing your assignments?"

Harry gave a slight nod. "It's the first week, and I'm trying my best to keep on top of things. This year is going to be busy, I know it."

Severus tugged at his hair a bit, and Harry looked up. "I wanted to talk to you about Moody."

Severus sat his glass aside. "Yes, you had your first class with him today. How did it go?"

Harry bit his lip, sitting up on his knees. "Honestly...something doesn't sit right with me."

Severus' arched a brow, silently asking him to go on.

"I went in a bit early, made a bit of small talk. Tonks trained with him for years, yet...he didn't recognize who I was talking about when I sort of mentioned her. I didn't mention her by name, of course, but he's only trained _her_ for the past few years. And there's not that many female Aurors in the force. On top of that, he...he cast the Unforgivables on spiders today. In front of us. He said he had permission from Dumbledore, but..."

Severus looked very grave. "I will speak to the Headmaster."

Harry sat next to Severus, feeling nervous now. "Sir...you don't think it could be imperious, do you?"

"It's very unlikely. Very. But I will watch him, and see."

Harry curled into the man's side, hugging him tightly. "He...he also said hi to you. That...you two go a long way back. What did he mean by that?"

Severus' expression darkened. "It could mean a number of things. Moody...never trusted me. Even when Dumbledore vouched for me. But if he's been possessed somehow, then..."

Harry blanched. "I don't think it's Voldemort. If it was Voldemort, he would have tried to kill me already. I mean...I was alone with him this afternoon."

"Well...I don't need to tell you to not do that again. And...perhaps it is one of the Dark Lord's spies. Gathering information. I will talk to Lucius, see if he knows anything. I will also talk to Albus. I won't mention you, of course, but I do think he needs to be aware of what Moody is teaching."

The man glanced up at the clock on the mantle, and sighed. "Looks as though we'll need to play it cool. Give the man false information, if we must. Make sure to...keep our distance from one another publicly. If Moody sees us together..."

"I know." Harry said quietly. "I...wish we didn't have to hide."

Severus kissed the boy's brow. "We will always have to hide, war or no. Let's get to dinner."

x-x-x

And so they watched. Almost immediately Severus recognized that the man was under polyjuice. Not only was he drinking from that little flask from his on the hour, Severus also noticed that he began to miss key ingredients for the polyjuice potion from his private stores.

They couldn't let the man know that they knew, whoever this guy was, until they could figure out where the real Moody was, and had to find out what the man's purpose was here, besides gathering information.

Harry had his hands full with starting up the AKDA again. Instead of delegating all the tasks himself, though, he had Millie and Dean do it instead, while Harry focused on training their newest members.

Rosie and Astoria, along with Dennis, were very enthusiastic, and wanted to do their best to help. Harry was rather surprised to find out that little Rosie wasn't that bad in physical defense, and after talking to her a bit in private, found out that she grew up in Knockturne. Most people who lived there never really left, but Rosie was fortunate enough to have a Grandfather that wanted her to come to Hogwarts. Her Mother was a muggleborn seamstress, and her Father was a drunken lout. (She'd called him this herself). She grew up pretty much taking care of herself, and Harry felt for her.

Astoria was the complete opposite, with her relatively good homelife. While Astoria was rather gregarious and bubbly, Rosie was quieter and a bit shy. But they worked together well, and Harry really, really liked teaching them. Astoria, while trained to be a proper pureblooded princess, wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Rosie was like a sponge, collecting bit of information and putting them to use quickly.

Dennis was just as excitable as his older brother Colin, and adorable too. He and the two Slytherin girls worked well together- they had no problems with House Divisions, unlike some of the older members did once in a while.

So Harry watched, and waited.

x-x-x

Millie blew a strand of hair out of her face, scowling. She blocked a vicious cutting hex, doing a roll and duck as Dean's sword clanged loudly with hers. It was 6am, and the two of them were training. Harry had recommended that the two of them get some of their own training in by themselves, to start off the day right. Millie had asked Harry why he usually wasn't there, and the boy said he was usually in the training room in the middle of the night, or he trained elsewhere.

Still, it was quite the workout with just her and Dean. She knew why Harry was doing it. After all, he'd said that the two of them were his 'leaders', whatever that meant, and they would have to work together. Millie panted as she thrust her sword at Dean, and then once more. The boy swiftly dodged her with ease. While Dean had gotten another growth spurt, so had she, so they were pretty even in height. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, Millie was wearing a pair of muggle yoga pants and a t-shirt. She was still getting used to wearing pants, but they were so much better than a skirt.

"Hey, do you think Harry chose us as Leaders because we're taller than he is?" Millie joked with a breathless grin.

Dean laughed, blocking another thrust from her. "Probably, but if that was the case, nearly everyone would be Leader." He grabbed the girl's shoulder and arm, and tossed her to the ground. She winced as she hit the mats hard.

"Ugh." She groaned, catching her breath.

"Sorry. You alright?" Dean collapsed onto the mats next to her.

"...I'll be fine. Probably a bit bruised." Millie sat up slowly, running a hand through her hair. It stuck to her neck and face, and she was all sweaty and things now. She was looking forward to her shower.

"So...how are you doing?" Dean asked, putting his sword back into his scabbard lazily.

Millie gave a slight shrug of her shoulder, looking away.

Dean frowned. "Look...Mil, whatever was going on between you and Harry? It was special, alright? He does care about you, you know."

Millie couldn't reply to this. Dean shook out his dreadlocks, eyeing one of them a bit. "Look, it's just...Harry is...Harry. For as long as I've known him, he's had this habit of...protecting people. Teaching them. Wanting them to become stronger, something better. He just...wants us to be the best we can be. He wants us to_ want_ to be better. You get what I'm saying?"

Millie furrowed her brow.

Dean laid back on the mat, staring up at the stone ceiling. "He ever tell you how we met?"

"...Just that you two practically grew up together. That you went through a lot of things."

"Yeah. We did." Dean grinned in remembrance. "Here I was, this brat of kid, trying to eek out a small pittance by pilfering pockets. I didn't really know any better at the time. All I knew was stealing and running, and pain when I didn't do as I was told...Then I saw him. He was...different, than the others, sayin' that he earned his money, rather than stealing it."

"But...you guys were just kids..." Millie breathed with wide eyes. "What are you..."

Dean sat up abruptly. "He never told you?"

"Told me what?"

Dean looked down. "I mean, you know that he's been...hurt before, right?"

"Yes." Millie said cautiously. Harry had told her about what Lockhart had done, vaguely, and that he'd been hurt before that.

"Well..." Dean's face twisted. "Gary, my Father, brought him home one day. Said he was a friend. I knew Harry was different right away, that he was...special. It wasn't long after he started coming around that Gary stopped...hurting my brothers and I."

Millie gasped. "Oh."

"Harry...did it for us. I could tell. So we became really good friends. He always used to joke that he would be my trophy wife, after I made a Million selling black market renaissance paintings or some shit..." Dean chuckled. "He was a trip like that. Anyways..." Dean's smile faded. "After...we started Hogwarts, things changed. I mean, we had a place now, and we have a home..." He motioned to the room around them. "We don't have to run anymore, you know? And we're making a way for ourselves here. I mean...I'm actually going legit now, and Harry is...well, he's Harry."

Millie smiled at Dean. This was really the most she'd ever gotten to talk to the boy. Dean was rather the quiet sort, and only ever really talked to Harry.

"Yeah, he's Harry." The two of them exchanged an understanding smile.

"So, I reckon he chose the two of us because he trusts the two of us the most. He doesn't let his guard down around a lot of people. He might look it, but he really doesn't. You, me, and Snape...I think that's all he really wanted or needs. The other people he fooled around with in the past...that was just a bit of fun, you know?"

Millie furrowed her brow. "You two never..."

Dean laughed. "No. Not that he didn't offer a million times. While Harry is a bit girly, he isn't girly enough for me physically, if you know what I mean." Millie chuckled at this.

"Yes, I know what you mean."

Dean gave her a rougish smile. "So, any girls caught your eye?"

Millie blushed furiously, and stood. She ran a hand through her hair, making a face at how icky at was. "No."

Dean got up as well. "I think you're lying." He sing-songed. "I know you've been checking out Granger and Weasley, at the very least. They both have good tits, and fantastic bums..."

"Dean!" Millie gasped, feeling scandalized.

"What?" Dean asked, putting their gear away. "Don't get your knickers twisted. You know, if you were straight, I would bang you."

Millie's mouth dropped open, watching the boy put their stuff away. "What?"

Dean gave a slight shrug of his shoulder, grabbing a cigarette from his discarded jacket on the floor. "You're hot. I know you don't think so, but you are. You could do with a bit of fixin' up, and all the girls will be all over you."

"...Really?" Millie asked with wide eyes.

"Oh yeah. Your training has really toned your body, and you've got some good curves on you, girl. See, Deadly, Dangerous, beautiful. That's why Harry picked you." Dean said, lighting up his cigarette.

"I'm not..."

"Ah, but you will be. Want one?" Dean offered one to her.

The girl shook her head. "No thank you. I thought he chose us because...other people would be able to identify with us."

"Guess he's right. More and more muggleborns are entering the wizarding world, and most of them find themselves unemployed unless they go straight back to the muggle world. Unless they're geniuses and kept up with their muggle schooling, they have horrible jobs. I've got a job already, and I'm not even out of Hogwarts yet." Dean grinned widely at this. "Yeah, it's dangerous, but it pays really well."

Millie was sort of aware that Dean was working for people, but Harry hadn't told her who exactly. She knew not to ask questions.

"So...I guess you're sort of an example for other muggleborns?"

Dean frowned slightly at this, and took a drag. "Huh. Guess so. I'm not really a good role model, and I did pretty well in the Dueling tournament..." He grinned. "I'd heard that several older muggleborns signed up for the Tournament this past summer, but it was cancelled after that Fiasco at the World Cup. Guess they didn't want Deatheaters attacking everyone in the middle of Diagon Alley."

"I suppose. That's good, right? That you made some of the other muggleborns want to take a chance and enter the tournament?"

"Guess so."

Dean grinned at her. "And look at you- you were trained from birth to be a pureblooded baby making machine. And now, you're wearing muggle clothes, dueling a muggleborn, and talking about girls...there would be such a scandal if everyone knew." He waggled his eyebrows. "Still, if you're going to dyke it out, you should do it properly."

"Do...what properly?" Millie asked.

Dean motioned to her hair. "That short little bob is cute and all, but it's really not doing anything for you. Hack it off, cut it into something shorter. I don't know, ask Harry, he's better at that sort of thing. I'm surprised he hasn't already done this."

"...Oh. But...you don't think people will say anything?"

Dean shook his head. "Nope. They'll be too busy staring. Don't worry about it, girl. Just do what you like, live your life how you want. It's too short to do otherwise." He picked up his jacket from the floor.

"Alright, I'm going back to the tower and get cleaned up. I'll see you later, yeah?"

The girl gave him the slightest of nods. Dean left, and Millie stood there in the training room, looking thoughtful.

x-x-x

Harry sighed roughly, running a hand through his bangs. Gathered around him were the cream of the Slytherin crop, all of them glaring at one another, or at him. Vania sat directly at the end of the other table. He had several papers in front of him, information on their candidates. They were supposed to have completed the testing already, but...certain people were being obstinate.

"We can't have Marshall." Harry said, frowning. "Yeah, he's got a fair bit of gold and political influence, but for Merlin's sake, he pissed his pants during the test, and screamed bloody murder!"

"He's eleven." Vania pointed out primly. "And he'll do better when he's not under pressure. It didn't help that you'd put that bloody black bag over his head."

"Well, you guys didn't want to disguise the testing room like I'd recommended." Harry snapped, his voice taking a hard edge. "And the girls, they both managed to keep their cool-"

"We can't have both of them!" A boy called out.

"Why not? Both Greengrass and Zeller performed admirably. Zeller even made it to the door before you managed to stop her."

The boy blushed hotly at this. "Zeller is trash. She's not even pureblooded."

"Neither am I." Harry pointed out.

He could see the others bristle in remembrance, as though they had tried to forget. Only Draco and Pansy had no reaction to this. They hadn't spoken up during the entire meeting. Harry knew what they thought.

"I'm recommending both Zeller and Greengrass. They might not have as much money as Marshall, but they've got a great deal of potential. They're strong, and they could become strong leaders if we gave them the chance-"

"We need balance. Only one can be chosen." Vania said, standing up.

Harry stood up as well, leaning over the table. "And I'm telling you, they will have the balance. Not every year has to have a male and female candidate, remember. Now, I've made my decision. Both Zeller and Greengrass will be accepted into the group." His voice was firm, and it was a clear dismissal. The others left the room with a bit of grumbling.

Only Pansy and Draco remained besides himself and Vania. Draco took Pansy's arm, the girl looked a bit skittish around Vania. Vania spoke coldly to the girl. "Looking a bit plump there, Parkinson. Are you sticking to your diet?"

Pansy blushed hotly, and ran out of the room, looking as though she was about to cry. Draco scowled at Vania, and followed after Pansy.

Harry glared at Vania. "I knew it. You fucking cunt-"

The girl looked a bit scandalized at this. "What? What have I done now, my _Lord_?" She mocked, bowing low to him, an ugly sneer on her face. "Shall I lick your boots for you? Shall I carry your books? I'm not of your Dogs, I'm not one of your little friends that you can just boss around."

Harry shook his head, grabbing the files. He started for the door. "You're disgusting. Telling Pansy she's fat...you're the reason she has an eating disorder! Do you know how hard it was to get her to eat again?"

Vania laughed, and Harry hated it. He opened the door, slamming it. "Vania...you better stay away from me. I'm warning you." He growled, and entered the hallway. Pansy and Draco stood there, the petite girl sniffling in Draco's arms.

Vania walked down the hallway haughtily, nose in the air. Harry glared after her, and Draco spoke quietly. "What a bitch. The only reason she was pressing so hard for Marshall is because he's her Cousin."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Harry muttered. "Come on guys."

He and Draco took Pansy's arms, and Harry gave her a small smile. "You lucky girl, you. You've got the most handsome boys in Slytherin on your arms."

Pansy sniffled. "Prat."

x-x-x

Harry watched watched Durmstrang and Beaubaxtons arrive, standing in the courtyard. He was nervous, but he didn't show it. The two schools had selected their best candidates for this tournament, and their small contingents represented the best of the best in Europe. He had to make a good impression, a lasting impression. If their group was ever going to get international relationships, this would be a key moment. Recruiting hadn't gone so well so far this year, and he really hoped that things would turn around with these groups.

Harry stood in between Millie and Dean, while the others in their group standing directly behind them. The other students were wild as they saw Viktor Krum following Karkaroff off their boat. Viktor Krum gave the slightest of nods to Harry as he passed, recognizing him. Harry gave a slight nod back. Good. The other Durmstrang candidates were all male. Harry wasn't terribly surprised. While there were girls who went to the school, he understood that the boys had much more vigourous training.

While the Slytherin purebloods at Hogwarts were traditional, these boys were even more so. He just hoped that they weren't idiots.

Beaubaxtons arrived in a flying carriage, obviously built in enough to hold their contingient. While they had both boys and girls in their contingient, it held mostly girls. Madam Maxine was their Headmistress. Harry knew that this was quite unusual, for a woman to hold such an office. He also suspected that the woman had some giant blood in her. Interesting.

Then he saw her. All the boys drooled after her as she passed, making idiots of themselves. She had fair skin and light blonde hair...she looked very much like a veela. She couldn't be a pureblooded veela, of course, as she would have never been allowed to participate in this tournament. Still, she was quite attractive. He would find out her name soon. She was clearly the leader of this group. He wondered how skilled she was. She had to be.

The girl held hands with another younger girl who looked like her. She was clearly not old enough to particpate, yet she'd been allowed to come on the trip. She had the same fair skin and blonde hair as her sister, and she looked to be about 9 or 10. The little girl caught Harry's eye, and grinned widely, tugging on her sister's sleeve. They whispered for a moment, and both of them looked towards Harry for a brief second. He knew that they probably recognized him from the papers and such. Harry just held their gaze, and offered a polite smile and a slight bow of his head.

The girls didn't look his way for the rest of the evening. The Durmstrang boys ended up sitting at the Slytherin table. There were just 20 of them in all, so there was room. The Beaubaxton students mostly sat with Ravenclaw.

Harry and Krum's eyes met, and Harry could tell that the boy was very aware of the stares directed their way. Harry gave him an understanding smile. "Mr. Krum. It is a pleasure to meet you once again."

"Mr. Potter." Krum greeted.

Harry motioned to the others around them. The girls were attempting to adjust their hair and such, with the exception of Millie, who only had eyes for the Beaubaxton girls. "These are my friends. Draco Malfoy, my adopted brother." Harry motioned to Draco, who shook hands with Krum. "We'll have time for better introductions after Dumbledore and the others have their speech."

Krum gave a slight nod at this. "Are you particpating?"

Harry's eyebrows raised. "I am not yet seventeen, Mr. Krum. Even if I was allowed, I wouldn't sign up for it. This tournament is far too dangerous. I've got enough going on as it is."

"Ah...I see. I thought you would be allowed, since you haff been training, yes?"

Harry tensed slightly at this. Of course...Krum had recognized him at the World Cup, during that fight.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Harry said, and internally winced. That was stupid. He glanced up at the staff table, and saw Severus looking their way, frowning slightly.

Harry winked at him, trying to reassure the man he wasn't going to be stolen away by the handsome Bulgarian. Perhaps a bit of persuading was in order tonight.

x-x-x

So...the Champions will be selected in the next chapter. Woot. Please review, and I will try to reply! :3


	33. Chapter 33

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry grit his teeth as Severus grabbed his wrist tightly, dragging him inside his quarters. "Severus...you're hurting me." Harry whined.

Severus let go of him, crossing his arms. "You were flirting with Krum."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "I was NOT flirting with Krum! We barely even talked!"

Severus' expression did not change. Harry frowned. "God, I can't believe you. Severus, I'm with you, I'm not about to throw all that away for some Quidditch player that I don't even know!"

Severus sighed, turning away. He approached his sofa, and grabbed a bottle from the end table. Harry stared at the bottle, frowning as the man took a swig, not even bothering with a glass.

"Severus...I love you. I don't want anyone else." Harry was a bit nervous about saying the "L" word to him, though he didn't show it.

Severus set the bottle down silently. Harry came up from behind, hugging him. "Look, I don't want to be with him. Not when I've got you."

Severus turned, and looked down at the boy. "You're too young to say such things...you should be dating...you...you shouldn't want me."

"Fuck that." Harry growled. "Don't tell me that. I know you care about me too. I want you, and only you." Harry pulled him into a rough kiss.

"Not even the veela?" Severus asked, pulling away from his lips.

Harry made a face. "I don't think she's a full veela, and no, I do not want her."

Severus kissed him again. "I don't want to lose you."

Harry pushed the man back to the couch, making Severus sit down. "You won't. You Claimed me, remember? If I didn't want you anymore, all I'd have to do is give your Dagger back. And I'm not about to do that." Harry said, grinning. He went down on his knees, in front of the Professor. "All I want is you. Alright?"

Severus leant forward, grabbing Harry by his hair. Harry groaned as they kissed. "Bedroom?" Harry panted, looking a bit dazed. Maybe he could convince Severus better there.

Severus gave him a slight nod, and the boy practically ran to the bedroom, shedding his clothes on the way. Severus followed him at a more sedate pace. He watched the boy climb onto the bed, looking at him coyly over his shoulder.

Severus got on the bed with him, and before he could say a word, Harry was on top of him, kissing him. Severus pushed him away, getting on top. "You need to be more patient. I don't want to rush things all the time." Severus said, kissing the boy's neck. He flicked his wrist, and ropes slithered themselves around Harry's wrists, attaching them to the wrought iron bars of the bed.

Harry groaned, pulling at the bindings, wriggling this way and that. "Oh...sir..."

Severus smacked him lightly on the cheek, making the boy's eyes close, his mouth dropping open. A flush spread across his cheeks. Severus smirked, and moved himself forward on the boy's chest, sitting on him. The boy's breathing grew a bit ragged at the added weight. Severus started to stroke himself, his cock inches away from the boy's face.

Harry licked his lips. "Sir...please..."

Severus chuckled, his voice low and husky. "Now, now, I'm supposed to be teaching you patience. Who's in charge here?"

"You are, sir." Harry whispered, opening his eyes. Severus hand quickened, spreading the precum from the tip.

"Remember that. Harry, we've been remiss in your training...I know we had to put things on hold for a while, after..."

"Yes sir." Harry said softly. "But...I think I'm ready now. While I do like cleaning your rooms and helping you organize things..."

"There is much more than that when it comes to serving me." Severus finished for the boy. "And we will start here, pet."

Harry could only groan as Severus steadied himself against the metal bars of his headboard, sliding his cock into the boy's waiting mouth. Harry's eyes closed, and he breathed through his mouth. Severus thrust in and out slowly, staring at Harry's face. He looked like he was enjoying himself.

"Only _my_ cock will be going anywhere near you. Only_ me_, no one else. Right pet?"

"Yesh ssir..." Harry's voice was muffled, but Severus understood him clearly. Severus felt the boy sucking, his tongue working him with practiced ease...no, he was getting close. Too fast.

He grabbed the boy's hair, tugging him back. Severus pulled his cock out of the boy's mouth, giving him a hard look. "Do as I say. Don't do any...tricks or anything. Just keep your mouth open, be careful with the teeth. I'm going to fuck your mouth."

And he did. Harry tried his best not to use his tongue or help the man out- Severus' long cock nearly choked him a couple of times, but he had a good gag reflex, thankfully. He was nearly close to cumming himself, and he hadn't even been touched. Severus pulled out of his mouth, cumming on his face. Harry kept his mouth open, just as Severus had ordered. He closed his eyes tightly at the sensation of Severus cumming on his face.

Severus finished, staring at his handiwork. "Swallow whatever you have in your mouth. Go to the loo and clean your face up. Don't touch yourself. Then come back to bed." With a flick of his wrist, the ropes unbound themselves.

Let's just say Harry didn't get back to his dorm room until very late that night, long after curfew.

x-x-x

Harry was sitting at the breakfast table the following morning, buttering a bit of toast. He had a stupid grin on his face, thinking about the previous night. He was terribly sore, and had a fair share of bruises hidden underneath his robes. He and Severus had tried out a few things last night that they had both really, really enjoyed. Harry couldn't get enough of the man's hands around his neck, choking him into submission... he sighed, squirming in his seat. Of course, the sex had been good too. Severus had made him beg for it at the end, there, teasing and taunting him for ages. Harry certainly learnt his lesson that night.

He nibbled on the corner of his toast, leaning on his hand while he daydreamed. Narcissa would throw a fit at his posture, but he didn't care.

Millie sat across from him, and Harry did a double take. His grin widened, and he dropped his toast to his plate. "Wow! Look at you."

Millie blushed, reaching up to her hair. "Do you like it? Pansy helped."

"Like it? I think it's bloody fantastic. I love it." Harry said with a grin.

Millie had cut her hair from the bob she'd worn ever since she and Harry had met, to a cute pixie cut that framed her features rather nicely. She looked older, and more mature, and elongated her face a bit so it didn't look as round.

"My Mother is going to kill me." Millie whispered, grabbing a bit of eggs.

"Who cares? Look over at the Ravenclaw table, I swear I just saw a couple of those Beaubaxton girls look over here when you sat down."

"Really?" Millie said with a grin, glancing over her shoulder. Indeed, a few girls waved at the two of them as she turned. She blushed, turning back to Harry. Harry hid a smile behind his hand, feeling very happy for his friend.

"The haircut really suits you."

Pansy and the rest of the Slytherin girls came into the Great Hall, and sat down, complimenting Millie on her new hair. Pansy looked very proud of her work. "Do you think we could dye it? I mean-"

"No...I like the color." Millie said, shaking her head. "Thank you, Pansy, but...I like it just the way it is."

Daphne spoke up. "Perhaps you should add a barrette or something, or a headband, to dress it up a bit when we have that Ball." She said with a grin. "I'm assuming you two are going together?"

Millie glanced at Harry and nodded. The Durmstrang boys then entered the Great Hall at that moment, and Harry twitched a bit nervously in his seat. He couldn't be rude to Krum, but clearly Severus didn't want him talking to the boy. He glanced to Severus, who was stirring his tea very, very intently. Severus glanced his way, catching his eye.

The man looked heavenward for a moment, and sighed. He gave the slightest of nods, and Harry smiled. Good. It would just be strange to be rude to Krum for no apparent reason. But Harry would be good.

Krum sat across from him again. "Good morning." Harry greeted with a smile.

"Good Morning." The boy said gruffly. The girls around them giggled, and Tracey asked.

"So, Viktor, may we call you that? Victor, we were just talking with Harry about the ball. He and Millie are going together- that's his girlfriend. Do...you have a girlfriend?"

Viktor blinked at her, and started to put food on his plate. "I am being much too busy for girlfriend."

"Oh." Daphne said, pouting.

Harry saw Viktor glancing at Millie, and then at Harry, probably trying to figure out why they were going out. That happened sometimes.

"Mr. Krum, would you like to join us after classes? There's a whole group of that get together from time to time." Harry motioned to himself and the girls. "We practice and train a bit...I figure we could probably learn a bit from you."

x-x-x

That evening, Harry was sitting on a desk, waiting for everyone to come in. Draco, Daphne, Susan and Hannah went straight to work, while the Slytherin boys started stretching. The twins came in, along with Ginny, Colin and Dennis, the five Gryffindors whispering and joking around. He wondered why they were up to.

Then Millie and Hermione came in, with Viktor in tow. The three of them had books in their arms. Hermione spoke as Viktor put his books down. "Thank you Viktor, for helping us carry our books."

Viktor gave her a small smile, and he turned to Harry, giving him a slight bow. Harry sighed. He really didn't like being so formal all the time. He hopped off the desk, and returned the bow.

"Good afternoon. I do hope that you managed to find your way alright?"

"I met with Miss Bulstrode and Miss Granger in the library. This is...a very big castle." The boy said in his halting English.

Harry looked to Millie and Hermione. "Girls, why don't you show Mr. Krum here around the place. We're still waiting for a few more."

Dean and Luna arrived, along with Rosie and Astoria.

"Hello!" Harry greeted, ruffling Rosie's bangs, and squeezing Astoria's shoulders. "You girls ready to practice?"

Both girls nodded, looking excited. "Alright, go get ready, and I'll be with you in a minute. Harry turned, and saw Dean looking over at Krum.

"Why is Krum here?"

"Why not?" Harry returned with a small smile.

Dean gave him a long look. "I can't imagine the Professor is happy with you right now." He said softly.

Harry laughed, swatting his friend's arm. "Dean, it's not like that. Anyways, I know for a fact that the professor is very, very happy right now." He waggled his brows, and Dean made a face.

"Ugh, did not want to know that, mate. Alright, so Luna and I have been doing some thinking. We should invite Ron to the group."

Harry made a face. "Really?"

Luna spoke quietly, looking up at the ceiling. "All of his remaining siblings here at Hogwarts are a part of this group. It will become harder and harder to hide it from him. He has already begun to notice that the others are much better than he is in dueling. Also, he was unable to defend himself at the World Cup."

Harry sighed. "All right. But Dean, you're vouching for him, so you teach him."

Dean made a face at this, but nodded. "Alright. Guess I should invite Seamus too- it's only fair. Where's Neville?"

"Checking out something for me." Harry said absently, looking over at Rosie and Astoria. The girl's cloaks were off, and they had begun to practice the sheilds that Harry had taught them the week prior.

"Harry, I do think it might be a good idea to wait a few days before bringing in new members." Luna said dreamily. "People will be a bit distracted with the choosing of the Champions."

Dean and Harry exchanged a look, watching the girl walk off. "The tournament doesn't have anything to do with us." Dean muttered.

Harry gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "Alright, let's get started."

The door opened one last time, revealing Neville. He looked as though he'd ran all the way there. He looked a bit frightened.

"Neville?"

"H-Harry." Neville gasped, catching his breath. The others went quiet, looking Neville's way.

"You alright?"

"Yeah...just...ran here. I did as you asked. I looked at the records, he died in Azkaban years ago."

Harry frowned at this. "...Alright. Thank you Neville."

Neville went off, and followed Luna onto the mats.

Dean gave Harry a long look. "What's that all about?"

"Just a hunch I have. We'll talk about it later." Harry smiled as he saw Krum helping Daphne with her wand grip. All the girls were giggling at him.

"I should go rescue him." Dean rolled his eyes at this.

x-x-x

"It's not going to work!" Hermione called out as the twins came into the atrium. A lot of people were gathered around the Triwizard Cup, watching people submit their names, cheering them on. The twins had potions that they'd brewed to just make them old enough to pass Dumbledore's age line. Harry privately did not think it would work, but thought it would be fun to see the twins try. He was sure the results would be hilarious.

Everyone went quiet as Krum entered the atrium, and he submitted his name to the Cup. Some clapped at this, mostly girls. Viktor glanced towards Harry and Hermione's way, as they were sitting on a bench nearby. The normally dour boy sort of smiled a bit, making Harry nervous. Harry glanced to Hermione, who was blushing. He sighed, and the twins downed their potions, and jumped past the age line.

They crowd in victory, and then tried to submit their names. Harry wondered if the cup did choose them, who it would choose. Knowing the twins, they'd probably switch places for each task. The twins were thrown out of the circle, and started to grow old rapidly. Everyone began to laugh, and Harry and Hermione exchanged a look.

Cedric Diggory arrived with a few buddies of his, and submitted his name as well. It seemed as though a lot of people were waiting until the last minute. Jitters, perhaps. "Good luck Cedric!" He heard a few girls call out.

Harry sighed. While he was rather popular with the girls, he was more thought of as 'adorable' and such. He just wasn't old enough or...rugged enough yet. Not that he really wanted to be. He was more than aware of the term 'sex sells', so he wondered if he would be like either Cedric or Viktor when he finally finished puberty.

He wasn't really the manly sort anyways. If he was, he wouldn't look nearly as good in his dresses. He stood. "Come on Hermione, let's go drop our books off."

Viktor smiled again as they passed, and Harry gave him a polite one back, hoping to God that the boy didn't have a crush on him.  
While he was flattered, he didn't need to deal with a jealous Severus all term.

x-x-x

The following evening, Harry sat in the Great Hall. He wondered who would get to be the Hogwarts Champion. He knew that he did NOT want it to be Vania, who had put her own name in. The only reason Harry would be okay with her being champion is if she was roasted by those Dragons that Severus had told him about. He smirked to himself as he daydreamed about her screams and singed hair.

Millie nudged him as the first name came out of the flames. Dumbledore caught the paper in his hands. "Viktor Krum!"

Viktor stood, getting a good amount of applause from the Durmstrang boys and the Slytherin table, and his Quidditch fans. He went into the atrium. Dumbledore then caught the next scrap of paper that came out. "Fleur Delacour!"

The blonde girl stood, and a large amount of boys whistled and clapped for her. She ignored them all, and went into the back room. Honestly, Harry was a bit surprised. There had never been a female champion previously. Oh well. He hadn't really talked to her...maybe there was a brain underneath all that blonde hair.

Then Dumbledore caught the last bit of paper, eyes twinkling. "And the Hogwart's Champion is...Cedric Diggory!" Harry clapped at this politely, smiling as the Hufflepuff table roared in excitement. He glanced down at Vania, smirking at her. The girl looked so pissed off!

"And now, let's begin our Feast-" Dumbledore was cut off as another name came out, making the hall go deadly silent.

The man looked at the slip in his hands, and Harry felt a shiver go down his spine.

"Harry Potter?" The man called out, obviously confused. "Harry Potter!" He called out louder. Harry was frozen in place, in complete shock. Of course. He should have known. People had died in this tournamnet. What better way for Voldemort to kill him off by doing in publicly in some humiliating manner?

"Harry!" Millie hissed, shaking his arm.

Harry stood mechanically, aware of how silent and tense the hall was. Then he heard it. "He's a cheat!" Someone cried.

"Cheater!"

Harry made his way towards the atrium. "Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!" People chanted from all over the Great Hall.

"Slytherin Scum!" Someone yelled.

Harry's hands shook as he entered the atrium. He barely registered the other champions as they looked towards him.

"Do they vant us to come back in?" Delacour asked, looking confused.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Cedric asked.

Harry buried his face in his hands, trembling. He heard the Headmaster, Karkaroff, and Maxine stride into the room, sounding furious. Ludo Bagman and Crouch were arguing too. Fleur called him a little boy, and everyone was demanding either a re-draw of names, or getting to choose other champions.

"Potter, did you submit your name?" Dumbledore asked.

"No sir." Harry said quietly, lowering his hands, trying to keep them from shaking.

"Did you ask someone else to submit your name?"

"No sir." Harry whispered, going to the fireplace. He turned, watching the others stare at him. He could see that they were disbelieving...he looked towards Severus, and saw that the man looked fairly expressionless, except for his eyes. He looked furious.

"Sir...I didn't submit my name. I swear I didn't. Not only am I not old enough or experienced enough, I don't want to die, thank you very much!" Harry's voice grew stronger at this, and the various trophies in the cabinets nearby started to shake in their cases.

He looked to Crouch. "Is there any way I can get out of this?"

The man looked through a thick rulebook, going through a few pages. "Potter, this is a binding magical contract...you can't get out of this."

"I'm a Minor. Surely there is a way." Harry pointed out. "My guardians..."

"Have nothing to do with it." Dumbledore pointed out. "It was _your_ name on that slip."

Harry sighed roughly. "I want to see that contract, then. There has to be a loophole, or some way of getting out of it."

Crouch shook his head, looking grave. "The only way of getting out of this contract is by dying. And there is no physical contract. This is an ancient magical artifact, that even _we_ do not understand all of it's properties."

Harry's brows raised at this. That was really stupid, if it was true.

He glanced to Cedric, who looked so confused. "Cedric, you're the real Hogwart's Champion. I never wanted to participate in this bloody tournament. I swear on my magic that I never submitted my name!" Harry declared, and cast a color charm on a nearby cushion. "I obviously have my magic still, so I'm telling the truth."He could see that Cedric was starting to believe him, as was Delacour and Krum. Unfortunately, all the adults still looked upset.

The others were silent, and Harry's lips thinned. "There has to be some other way of getting out of this. Excuse me, I've got to do a bit of research." Harry said in clipped tones. He headed for the door. He caught Severus' gaze, and he could tell that the man wanted to talk to him as soon as possible. No duh.

x-x-x

So...yeah. How do you think Harry is going to get out of this fix? Please review!


	34. Chapter 34

Love In the Dark

* * *

So...my Mom has a Doctor's appointment today. She's still having a lot of problems from her surgery. If she has to get another surgery, she might have to have open-heart this time. If it comes to surgery again, I'm going to be with her this time. So I might not update, if she has her surgery, say in a few days. It's a bit scary, but I'm hoping it won't come to that.

Thank you for all of the fantastic reviews guys, keep it up!

x-x-x

Harry felt hollow as he walked to the Slytherin Common room. He knew that there were a number of problems that this whole...mess caused. He'd spent an hour at the library before he gave up for the night, unable to think clearly. He was too upset, and he needed to do some damage control now, before it got out of hand.

He stopped short as he saw Dean waiting outside the common room, leaning against the wall. He gave Harry a small smile. "Hey."

"Hi." Harry said quietly. "How long have you been out here?"

"Ever since everyone left the Great Hall. You talk to Snape yet?"

"No. Not yet. I'm going in there to do a bit of damage control."

Dean sighed. "It's not pretty in there. That Vania bitch has already started talking to people. You might need to make an example of her."

Harry's expression darkened further. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. Alright. Meet me in Severus' office. Tell him I'm on my way."

Dean gave him a slight nod, and walked down the corridor slowly, lighting a cigarette. Dean clearly did not care if he got caught smoking right now.

Harry took a deep breath, and entered the common room. As he thought, it was still full of his housemates. Everyone went silent as they saw him enter.

Harry loosened his tie, watching Vania stand up from her place on the sofa, clearly holding court there. She put her hands on her hips, and was about to open her mouth when Harry held up his hand. She mouthed a word, and then clutched her throat, eyes widening. She screamed, but no sound came out. She sank back to the sofa, looking terrified and angry. Her friends looked at Harry worriedly. He couldn't have done that, right?

The others started to look confused.

Harry looked calmly at the group before him. He had to take care of this now, before things got worse.

"I did not put my name in the goblet. I swear on my magic." He motioned to Vania. "As the _bitch_ is still unable to speak at this time, I still have my magic. Pardon my language." He could see some people start to get nervous about this.

"People have died in this tournament. I am underage, still a minor. I haven't even taken my OWLS yet. Clearly, someone wants me to die. I am looking around all possible ways to get out of this tournament. I do not want to compete."

He looked to his friends, who were all gathered together in the corner. "If any of you would like to help me find a way out of this thing, please do."

He looked to the rest of this crowd. "Support Cedric Diggory if you like. He is truly the Hogwarts Champion. I will be supporting him myself. According to Crouch and the others, I must compete, or I will die. I know there has to be another way."

Harry made his way to the fireplace coolly, keeping his chin lifted. "We must all stand united together. Support Cedric Diggory, Support Hogwarts. Please, do not talk about me in front of the other Houses. They will see it as a weakness, and try to tear us apart. Vania...as for you..." He flicked his wrist, and the girl flew into his hands.

Other students gasped, and some even stood, looking fearful. Harry stared down a boy that had drawn his wand.

"Your Head Girl has been causing quite a bit of trouble. She can't keep her mouth shut, and she is treating her fellow Slytherins badly. Not only does she enjoy gossiping about them, blackmailing them, putting them down... she is a traitor."

The others could see that the girl was choking now, as Harry lifted her up with one hand easily. Harry could see the open fear on their faces, and he hated it. He hated this. He did not want to be feared, he wanted to be respected! Yet Bitches like her...it made him so angry!

"I could kill her. But I won't." He whispered, looking straight into her eyes as he said this. "That's the thing about power. You can choose either to use it, or not use it. And you, Vania, abused your power. And me? I'm a better person, so I will not."

He tossed her to the floor. She coughed, trying to breath again. She stared at him, trembling, clutching at her throat.

"I don't like traitors very much." Harry said, his voice flat. "We're supposed to help each other out. Honor each other. Blackmail the idiots in Gryffindor, if you must, but never, _ever_ mess with a Slytherin. They bite back." Harry looked down at the girl who still laid at his feet. "You're very lucky, Vania. Very lucky indeed. You will regain your voice in the morning. Until then, perhaps you will think about what you say. If not..._you will pay_."

Harry looked to the rest of those gathered. The older students were unable to meet his gaze, for the most part, looking ashamed or scared.

Finally, Rosie spoke up quietly, approaching him. "Did you just do wandless magic?"

Harry just gave her a warm smile. "Yes. I did." And he could do a lot more than that wandlessly. What he had done was just the tip of the iceberg, but they did not need to know that. Let them wonder. Funny, how a little first year had enough balls to get near him when so many others were clearly frightened.

He then walked back to the common room door, and Millie met him at the door. "I'm coming with you." She murmured. She looked at their friends, who were watching them from afar. "We can tell the others everything when we find out more."

Harry gave her a slight nod, and the two of them left the common room.

They walked to Severus' office, and saw Severus at his desk, and Dean was sitting across from him. Narcissa was there as well. The woman hugged Harry tightly as soon as she saw him.

"Oh Harry..."

Harry pulled away from her grasp, not quite ready to break down yet. "What have we heard?" He asked, looking at the paperwork and books spread across the table.

"Lucius is at the Ministry now, looking for answers. Black and Lupin are actually meeting with Dumbledore. I...excused myself from their meeting." Severus said curtly. "I...am not happy with the Headmaster at the moment."

Dean spoke up. "The Gryffindors are throwing a hissy fit. Hermione and the others are backing you up, of course, but that doesn't keep the rest of them from saying shit. I wasn't there long, I had to leave."

Millie perched on the armrest of Dean's chair, while Harry began to pace. "This is a mess." Harry muttered.

"How was the damage control?" Dean asked, lighting up another cigarette. He handed one off to Severus, who clearly looked like he needed one. Millie went a bit wide eyed as she saw the Professor light up.

"Me too, me too." Harry groaned, and Dean gave him one as well. Harry lit his absently. Narcissa looked a bit disapproving, but said nothing.

"I had to threaten Vania. She'll get her voice back in the morning. Next time, she'll know not to talk shit about me." Harry exhaled, closing his eyes.

"What did you do?" Severus asked, frowning.

"A bit of threatening. Bit of wandless magic. Scared some people. I hate that. But it had to be done. They certainly won't be talking about me around the other students. Told them, as Slytherins, we needed to stick together. Told them that I didn't submit my name. I swore on my magic, but they probably don't believe me. Anyways..." Harry frowned.

"If...if you do have to do this tournament...what are you going to do?" Millie asked, sounding a bit scared.

Harry frowned. "If I have to compete, I would have to show everyone my abilities, right?"

Severus leant back in his seat, looking thoughtful.

"Well..." Narcissa started. "If you did the tasks quick enough, doing the minimal amount possible to complete them...avoiding the more advanced spells and such, perhaps no one would have to know."

Everyone considered this silently. Harry already knew the first task was going to be dragons. How would that be possible?

Lucius flooed into the office, and the man gave the slightest of bows to Harry. "Harry. I went to the Ministry, and tried to find any information on the tournament. What Crouch said was true. Even as your guardians, we have no say in you competing, once your name has been drawn. Also, you are required to compete, or else you will lose your magic and die."

Harry blanched. "I see."

"I even bribed an Unspeakable to be sure..." Lucius trailed off, his face softening a bit. "I'm so sorry."

"Maybe Remus and Sirius will have better news?" Harry said hopefully. Everyone still looked a bit grim.

"It had to be the Moody impostor. Lucius...have you heard anything about any possible spies within Hogwarts?"

Lucius shifted uneasily. "I...heard something, but...I wasn't quite sure if it was true. I mean...the man is supposed to be dead..."

"Barty Crouch Jr. It's him, isn't it?" Harry stated with a frown.

Severus' eyes widened. "But...how?"

"I don't know." Harry said quietly. "But...it sort of makes sense. I mean, the guy dies within six months of being there? Usually they last for a good few years. And I found out from Neville...well, he and his Gran have info on the case that isn't really open to the public. It just seems a bit odd to me."

"So what do you want to do? Grab the fake Moody and find the real one?" Dean asked.

Harry shook his head. "Not yet. I mean, now we know why he is here, to make sure I...die. But he's obviously reporting back to his Master. We just keep feeding him false information when we can, and try to keep him from doing his task, I guess."

"But...why go through the whole guise of the Tournament?" Narcissa asked.

Harry frowned. "I'm not sure."

Lucius tapped his cane to the ground. "It's a test."

"What?"

Severus sighed, shaking his head. "Fuck. Lucius is right. It is a test. He's testing you, Harry, to see what you can do. See what your capable of. Of course. You and he will have to face each other at some point, and he wants to find out your weaknesses. We've been extremely careful so far, but...you have no way of getting out of this, this time."

"Unless I purposefully risk my life by playing down my skills." Harry groaned.

"I don't like this at all." It didn't matter who said it, because everyone was thinking it.

Sirius and Remus arrived a little later. Sirius was scowling, and he looked a bit pissed off. Remus was about to say something, and then he saw Harry.

"...Are you smoking?"

Harry rolled his eyes, taking a drag. "Sirius told me that you guys started smoking around my age too."

Sirius grabbed one from Dean, who was frowning at his nearly empty pack by now. Sirius slipped him a few sickles, to cover the cost. Sirius lit up, and started to pace. "Well, Dumbledore says there is nothing we can do. We met up with Crouch, Bagman, even old Fudge, and all of them said that Harry had to compete."

Harry's hand trembled slightly, and he sighed. "Well...fuck." He stopped by Severus' chair, and sat on the man's armrest. Severus reached over, putting a hand on the boy's knee. Narcissa and Lucius exchanged a fleeting look.

Sirius looked a bit uncomfortable as he saw their familiarity.

"It'll be okay Harry." Millie said, trying to console him. "We'll get through this."

x-x-x

Late that night, after everyone else was gone, Harry and Severus were in Severus' bedroom. After cumming about three times, Harry finally collapsed onto Severus' chest, and began to cry. Severus held him carefully.

"Harry...everything will be alright."

"No it won't." Harry sobbed. "Did you hear them in the Great Hall? God, it was horrible. They hate me Severus, hate me. After everything that I've done, after everything I sacrificed...I could have just been fooling around these past couple of years, just spending time with my friends and hanging out instead of staying up all hours of the night training and god knows what else..."

Harry rolled off of his lover, wiping his tears away. "I'm sorry."

Severus sat up slightly, looking down at Harry. "Why are you apologizing to me?"

"...You don't need to hear all this." Harry murmured quietly.

Severus shook his head, brushing back Harry's bangs. "Look, you need someone to talk to. You don't have to put up a front with me. You know that. It's okay. It really is."

Harry kissed him gently. "You're sweet. Wish you were like this all the time."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I do have a reputation to maintain. And I'm not _sweet_." The man's lip curled.

Harry giggled at this, feeling a bit better. "So...we're going to get through this, right?"

The man nodded slowly. "Yes. And you'll have all of us to help you. Mr. Thomas and Miss Bulstrode can make sure the AKDA is running smoothly, and you can concentrate on figuring out these tasks. We'll help you in whatever you need."

Harry stared up at the ceiling. "And the other students? Do you think they will be a problem?"

"...They might be. But you've gone through a lot worse things."

"...I guess so. I mean...it's not like I care what they think. It's just...if everyone hates me, how am I supposed to recruit new members for the AKDA?"

Severus raised a brow. "Harry, that's not your problem. It's not...technically...your group, after all. You let the others handle it. This will be testing all of you, all of your strengths. Miss Bulstrode and Mr. Thomas will just have to take on a bit more responsibility than we planned, but I think they can handle it. You just have to keep strong, and ignore all the idiots. And be careful. You can't let your anger get the best of you. Believe me, Moody is going to be reporting everything he can to the Dark Lord."

Harry grinned, tracing the man's chest with his fingertip. "Good thing he can't see in here." He said coyly. "Otherwise, he'd be getting an eyeful, right about now."

Severus reached down, grabbing Harry's bum. "Up for another round?"

"Can you go again, old man?" Harry teased, as Severus rolled on top of him.

Severus kissed him hard. "For you? Always."

x-x-x

Harry entered the Great Hall the following morning. People went silent as they saw him, then began to point and whisper. Harry ignored all of that, and started to head for the Slytherin table.

"Hey Potter!" Ron's Weasley's voice rang out.

Harry stopped short, and turned slightly to look at the red head that was standing over at the Gryffindor table. Was Ron really going to try something here? In front of everyone?

Ron threw oatmeal at him. He THREW oatmeal at him!

Harry was so shocked that he didn't move. It was disgusting, and clung to his robes and hair wetly. The Great Hall erupted into laughter, although the Slytherin table and the Durmstrang and Beaubaxton Students were quiet. Harry could see McGonagall coming down from the table, looking furious at Ron.

Harry silently left the Great Hall, making his way to the closest loo. He didn't care if it was the girl's loo. He just wanted to get away. He vanished the mess from his hair and clothes, and had shed his cloak. He was washing his hands when the loo door opened, revealing Fleur Delacour.

Harry could see her in the mirror. What was she doing here?

Harry turned around, and saw the girl stare back. "What? Have you come to laugh at me as well?" He said brusquely.

The girl shook her head, and then did a tidy curtsy. "No. I am Fleur Delacour, I thought...after everything, we should be properly introduced."

Harry glanced around at the loo. This was a strange time to be doing this. "Now?"

"No better time." The girl said a in clipped voice. "Mr. Potter, what that boy did to you was dispicable. It was rude, and it should have never happened. I...believe you when you say you did not submit your name."

"Thank you." Harry stated quietly. He pulled his cloak back on, aware of how she looked at him. "What?"

"You are not susceptible to my allure." The girl said simply.

Harry shook his head. "Should I be?"

"Well...yes. Most males are." Fleur said, smiling. "But...I suppose you're not like most men. Would you like to go back to the Great Hall? You can escort me there."

Harry smiled slightly at this, taking her arm. "You're a devious one, aren't you?" Every boy would be insanely jealous of him when they saw them together.

The girl flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I'm not just good looking." She said with a soft laugh.

"I figured that. There had to be a reason why you were chosen."

He led her back to the Great Hall, and the girl spoke quietly. "You know, with the rules stated as they are...you are able to become an adult legally. Your status was recognized not only by three Ministry officials, but by an ancient artifact." She murmured in his ear, just as they entered the Great Hall.

Harry's eyes widened at this. Everyone in the Hall probably assumed the girl had said something dirty and erotic to him, but... Harry walked to the Slytherin table. Millie looked at Harry curiously, as did everyone else. How did she know this? He needed to find out more about this girl.

"What did Delacour say?" Millie asked.

"Something about my status as a minor." Harry said softly, trying to figure out what steps he could take.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and Krum, who was sitting across from Harry again, spoke. "She is right. You become adult, if you are recognized as vone legally by ICW, and your English Ministry. I should know, as I vas declared an adult when I made team."

Harry grinned, mind racing at the possibilities. He grabbed a nearby apple. "Well then, I guess I have some things to do."

He stood once more, tossing his apple into the air, and he glanced over at Vania. The girl looked a bit frightened, still, as their gazes met. Harry did a flick of his wrist, and caught the apple, giving her a Look. His spell was broken, and she would be able to speak again. He wasn't going to do that again. This was her last chance. If she said any more shit, he was going to do a lot more than take her voice away.

He glanced Severus' way as he headed out, letting the man know he was okay, he was just going to be a bit busy. Until he got everything sorted out, Harry was going to take full advantage of the fact that he was excused from classes and exams this year, if he needed to prepare for the tournament. He normally didn't skip class, but this was rather important. And it needed to be done quickly.

x-x-x

Harry returned to Hogwarts late that evening, smiling sweetly as he saw Severus waiting for him in his office. The man sighed. "You're to meet the Headmaster in his office."

"I'm not surprised." Harry said with a grin. "Escort me?"

Severus set his grading quill aside, and led Harry out of the room. "What happened today? Anything important I should know about?"

"I am no longer a ward of the Malfoy's. My status has changed to an adult. I was at the Ministry today, with Lucius, doing that, and then we went to Gringott's. I now am Lord Potter, and I have access to the rest of my Estate." Harry said with a wide grin, eyes glittering. "This will make things much easier."

Severus went over his lover's words. Only Harry could get away with such a thing.

"Oh, the Minister believes me when I said that I did not submit my name into the cup. There will be a full inquiry, he's sending over some Aurors." Harry paused. "I may have recommended Tonks, as she can blend in more." He said innocently as they turned up the stairs.

"Great." Severus muttered. Harry squeezed his hand briefly, glancing up at him.

They walked in silence to the Headmaster's office. The Headmaster motioned to a chair, and Harry sat down. Severus stood by his side, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Lemon drop?"

"No thank you sir." Harry said, saccharine sweet, crossing his ankles. "I suppose you want to know why I skipped all of my classes today."

"Yes."

"I'm sure you already know I was at the Ministry today. I am no longer a ward of the Malfoys."

Dumbledore looked a bit happier about this. "Oh?"

"I was legally declared an adult. I am recognized as one by the Ministry of Magic, the ICW, and Gringott's."

"...I see." He did look so happy at this.

"I will be participating in this tournament. I have no choice. I've looked for all possible loopholes, and there is nothing. The Minister will be sending Aurors here to look into this. The Bulgarian and French Ministers will be here as well, and send some of their own people. I thought I ought to warn you."

Harry stood, still smiling sweetly. "Have a good night sir."

It was saying something when Dumbledore didn't speak a word to either of them as they left his office.

It wasn't until they were going down into the dungeons when Severus spoke again. "You are a minx."

"I know." Harry said with a relish, taking his arm. "Let's go...you know. I feel like having a bit of fun. I was in a whole bunch of boring meetings today, and my hand hurts from signing so much paperwork. Let's do a bit of celebrating, shall we?"

x-x-x

So what did you guys think? Vania was punished, but do you think she'll be bothering Harry again? Ron will get what's coming to him. How do you think everyone's reactions will be when they find out Harry's been emancipated? Please review, it will give me inspiration!


	35. Chapter 35

Love In the Dark

* * *

So...update about my Mom. She had the appointment today, and the doctors found out that the surgery didn't fix everything entirely. Which sucks. Her recovery isn't going all that great. The doctors are going to wait a couple of weeks, let her heal a bit longer. If she's not any better, she's going to have to have open-heart surgery for sure. So...yeah. Thanks for the well wishes everyone.

On to the next chapter!

x-x-x

Harry sighed, setting a few more letters aside. He was sitting in the Great Hall with his friends. He had gotten a ton of fan mail after the news came out about his Emancipation, and about his not wanting to be in the Tournament. Not only was he the youngest Lord in the UK, he was also one of the richest. Harry had been expecting this, and expecting all of the Proposals and such, but he hadn't thought that there would be so many!

He was trying his best to send out polite letters declining the offers, making sure not to offend anyone. The other students couldn't decide whether they liked Harry or not. While some still thought he cheated, others were coming around to the fact that Harry really didn't want to be in the Tournament.

It helped that the other Champions backed him up publicly, as well as Fudge. There were also the small group of Aurors that were at the school, trying to figure out how such a thing could occur. The French and Bulgarian Ministries sent some of the own Aurors as well. Harry had heard something from Lucius about the ICW meeting up about this...incident.

Anyways, now that it looked as though Harry would have to participate, he was trying to figure out what to do for the first task. He knew for certain that it would be dragons. He quickly informed the other contestants, whenever he managed to get them alone. He wasn't representing a school anyways, and thought facing a bloody dragon was a bit of an overkill for a school competition. They certainly appreciated the Heads up, and were joining Harry and the others in AKDA meetings whenever they had the time. Of course, Harry continued to help the younger members, preferring to train in private. He wasn't about to take any chances now.

After Ron's stunt, the boy had been hexed and pranked so badly by his siblings, he refused to show his face in the Great Hall for at least a week. He'd heard from Dean that there had been a huge row in the Gryffindor common room- apparently Ginny was quite loud when she wanted to be, and those spells she'd picked up from Bill were pretty wicked.

Harry was now in control of his entire Estate, and he could see why Lucius had only given him a small portion to control the previous summer...it was quite vast. Still, Harry took every advantage of his new financial gains, and the offers he'd started to receive, and now he had lots of interesting gear that would protect him from wayward spells and other dangerous...things. He just hoped the armor would stand up against Dragon's breath.

After a bit of bribery from Lucius and gossip-mongering from Narcissa, they had found out some details about the other tasks. The second task would involve the Black Lake and the mermaids that lived there, somehow. And the third would be the maze, which would include a Sphinx. Harry knew that if he did things right, he could easily hide his abilities with the other two tasks, but it was the first one that worried him the most.

He and his friends did their best to find out all the could about dragons and their weaknesses. Harry learnt that the weakest parts on their body were their eyes, their mouths, and their snouts. Anywhere else, their dragon hide would be too strong to penetrate. Harry doubted that they were required to kill the dragon, as the creatures were endangered, they just had to subdue it somehow.

Then there was Rita Skeeter, who was worse than any rapid dragon they'd have to face. Harry and the other champions were called in for the wand-weighing, and for an interview with the Daily Prophet.

Harry had gotten a heads up about this, so he dressed in his best black robes, and took care with his hair. He arrived a bit later than the other Champions, as he'd been in the middle of potions class. He took off his school cloak, putting it with his bag and things by the door. He spotted Ollivander, hoping the man wouldn't announce to the world about what Harry's wand was made of. Harry approached the Champions, who were all talking quietly with each other. Their respective Headmasters were in the other corner, talking to Fudge and Crouch.

"Hullo." Harry greeted.

" 'arry!" Fleur greeted, kissing Harry's cheeks. The camera went off, and Harry sighed, wondering how the press would spin this. There were already rumors about him and Fleur going around...

"Fleur." He greeted, shaking hands with Cedric and Viktor. "All of you ready to face the press?"

Cedric looked a bit nervous, while the other two sighed roughly. Viktor was certainly used to facing the press, because of being on Bulgaria's national Quidditch team. In addition to this, Harry found that he'd grown up participating in Bulgaria's Dueling circuit as well. Of course, he was also the nephew of their Minister. Fleur, on the other hand, was a French Ambadassodor's daughter, from a very wealthy family. She was used to attention, from all sorts. The three of them understood what the press was like, and how fickle they could be. Harry had gotten close to the two of them, very quickly.

Harry leant in, whispering to Cedric playfully. "Cedric, if you're nervous, just pretend you're talking to us. Don't say anything incriminating, or stuff that can be taken out of context. Skeeter is vicious, and can twist your words if you're not careful."

Cedric gave him a slight nod.

The wand-weighing began, as did the interviews. Harry could tell Rita was eyeing him up, but Harry made sure to stick close to Fudge, so that the man was taking up his time. Fudge was very, very happy that Harry was so friendly with him. Harry hated the idiot, but at least Rita wasn't trying to get at him again. He didn't want her making the article all about him.

Harry wasn't surprised to hear that Fleur's wand core came from a hair from her Grandmother, a full blooded Veela. The others looked appropriately scandalized, of course, as if they already didn't know. It was sort of obvious. It did make Harry wonder, though, if the girl had any Veela abilities, such as growing talons and wings and throwing firey things...that could possibly be useful against a dragon. Hmm.

It was Harry's turn to hand over his wand to Ollivander. Harry watched the man eye it carefully, thankful that the old man did not name out what his wand was made of. Good.

Rita grabbed him as soon as they were finished, and cornered him.

"Hullo Harry." She said sweetly her quill already writing by itself on her little notepad. She eyed him carefully, noting his clothes and such.

"You look very handsome today." She motioned to the bench, glancing towards the others. "I'd like a bit more privacy, but...well..." She glanced at the Aurors stationed by the door.

"So!" The woman grinned. "My readers want to know all about this little...mix up with you being involved in the tournament, more about you. I know you've done interviews before, of course, but I hear there are some new developments?" She asked, leaning forward.

"New...developments. Yes." Harry said, not wanting to lead her to anything.

Rita's jeweled eyeglasses glinted in the dim lighting of the room as she tilted her head. Her fake-blonde curls bounced slightly at the movement. "Yes, I believe you have a girlfriend now, a Miss Millicent Bulstrode. You've been together for a while now, yes?"

Harry gave the woman a slight nod. "That's right, ma'am."

"Please darling, call me Rita." She tapped his shoulder playfully. She glanced over at Fleur, who was currently talking to Madam Maxine.

"She's very pretty, isn't she Harry?"

Harry gave her a Look. "Millie and I have been together for a while. Whatever you're trying to imply, it's not going to work. I love Millie, and only Millie."

Rita's eyes lit up. "So...now that you've been Emancipated, and become a Lord, have you thought about taking a wife? Word has it, you've got a lot of offers. Are you in negotiations with Lord Bulstrode?"

Harry blinked. "No. Only because I'm not sure if I am going to survive this Tournament."

"How tragic!" Rita gasped, quill quickening on her notepad. "I suppose Miss Bulstrode is very worried about all this, isn't she?"

"Of course she is. So are all of my friends. They don't want me to die, either." Harry gave the woman a quick grin. "But I'll try to muddle my way through somehow."

x-x-x

Millie was watching Hermione prepare for their spar, feeling a bit nervous. It was getting harder and harder to fight the girl. She had realized recently that her training with Dean had really improved her skills. While that didn't mean she was necessarily better than Hermione, it made her more aware that she could hurt the other girl badly if she wanted to. Hermione was tying her hair back in a messy bun, and Millie's heart just quickened a bit at seeing a curl escape, falling onto the back of her neck.

She swallowed, undoing one of the wraps around her fist, retying it again. Merlin, she wanted her so much. She liked Hermione's bossiness, her stubborn-ness. She loved to watch her struggle whenever they dueled, she loved to see the fire in her eyes when she was trying to come up with a strategy. She could imagine that the girl was just as passionate in bed as she was about learning. She was gorgeous of course- not in the typical way, though. Perhaps that was why Hermione had caught her eye. Hermione was a bit curvy, but not very girly either. She didn't have to wear makeup to be pretty, and she looked good in almost anything she wore.

The two of them were alone in the training room for the evening, as they had decided to head out of Dinner a bit early. Most of the boys were watching the Slytherin Quidditch team practice, while the girls were off doing...girly things that neither of them had any real interest in doing.

Hermione got into her stance, looking determined. They were doing hand-to-hand tonight, which Millie always really liked doing with Hermione...for the obvious reasons. Hermione was quick with a wand, but sometimes relied a bit too much on it. While the girl had some strength from lugging all those books around, she wasn't as strong as Millie was. It helped that Millie was a bit bigger than her, both in height and muscle tone. Sometimes...Millie liked that she was a bit bigger than Hermione.

"Ready?" Millie asked with a smirk, raising her fists.

"Oh yeah." Hermione breathed, and ducked to avoid Millie's first throw. They danced around each other for a bit, ducking and dodging blows. Millie managed to catch the girl in the face, making Hermione stumble slightly. She felt no shame for hitting the girl she liked in the face. They were dueling. They were training. Why did it feel so good, then? Not giving Hermione time to recover, Millie tackled her to the floor, holding her down. Millie grabbed her wrists, holding them above the breathless girl's head.

Hermione fought and pulled, like she always did, and Millie found herself smiling. She could feel the girl's body against hers- she was very aware of Hermione's breasts pushing against her own...Merlin, this felt so good. Hermione's skin was slightly flushed, and a bit sweaty, and her eyes... she looked like she was enjoying this as much as Millie was. Millie's grip tightened on the girl's thin wrists, and she saw Hermione's eyes flutter a bit at the sensation, her breath hitching. Was...was this what Harry had been talking about? Boy, did this feel good. Not only did it feel good...it felt...right.

"Sometimes I wonder... if you _like_ me being on top of you." Millie whispered huskily, eyes darkening.

Hermione froze at this, eyes widening. Millie then realized what she'd just said. She let go of Hermione like the other girl was on fire, rolling off of her and sitting up in one quick movement.

"Oh Merlin." She groaned, hands fisting into her short hair. Her lusty mood suddenly gone, and everything caught up to her. "I'm so sorry Hermione. I didn't mean..."

Hermione sat up, feeling a bit confused. She absently rubbed at her wrist. "Millie...are you...do you like..."

"I'm sorry." Millie whispered again, feeling horrible.

"Hey..." Hermione touched the girl's shoulder. "Look, it's not like you snogged me...let's talk, okay?'

"...I wanted to snog you." Millie confessed guiltily. "I've wanted to for a while now."

Hermione stared at her friend with wide eyes. They were both silent, waiting to see what the other would do. "Oh. I...see." Hermione finally said, unsure of what else to say.

Millie looked down, picking at the wrap that was wrapped around her left hand.

Hermione wriggled a bit, feeling a bit nervous. "The thing is...I like boys."

Millie's head snapped up, and she felt so...she didn't know what to feel. Sad? Angry? Just...depressed?

Hermione sighed roughly. "Well...I think I do. I don't know. I'm...confused." It was Hermione's turn to look away now. "A-Aren't you and Harry together?" She stammered.

Millie was reminded of the article that had just come out the other day, about the possible betrothal between Harry and herself... "We are." Millie said cautiously. "But at the same time...we aren't."

She waited for Hermione to figure it out. She knew she would. The girl was brilliant, after all.

Hermione looked back at her, eyeing her carefully. "But...you kiss."

"Yeah. We do. We're...friends. Friends kiss." And a lot more than that...second base was a big deal for most fourteen year olds, after all.

She saw Hermione's dark eyes dart down to her lips, and Millie's heart raced. Possibly...maybe...

Millie moved a bit closer. "Look...Harry...and I...we're...we understand each other. The wizarding world is old fashioned. Everyone believes that we should pop out little pureblooded babies, keeping magic alive and all that rot. I...really don't want that. Neither does he. Yeah...we have fun, but... he likes guys, and I-I like girls. Being together isn't..."

"It's not enough." Hermione whispered, realising then what sort of relationship Millie and Harry had. "Have you kissed a girl yet?"

Millie gave a slight shake of her head.

"Then...how do you know?" Of course, Hermione had to be all_ logical_ about it!

Millie chuckled, looking down again. "I just...do. I started to sort of put things together in my first year. I mean...I've always been different than other girls. I...think Harry recognized that in me."

"But...how? How did you realize that you were attracted to girls?"

Millie fiddled with the wrap on her hand a bit more. "Well...I like...girls." She blushed. "I like...the way they look." She cleared her throat, knowing Hermione wouldn't be satisfied with that. The damned girl was as curious as a cat. "They have...curves. They're...softer." Millie's voice went quieter, glancing towards Hermione shyly. "I think...they're beautiful."

Hermione leant forward quickly, and pecked Millie on the mouth. They withdrew from each other with wide eyes. It had been a fleeting kiss, barely there, but...

"Does it feel any different when you kiss Harry?" Hermione whispered, eyes wide with what she'd just done. She'd kissed a girl!

"...I don't know. You didn't kiss me long enough to tell." Millie whispered, feeling a bit braver. She tilted her face towards the other girl, leaning forward. "That wasn't a proper kiss." Hermione squirmed a bit, holding Millie's gaze.

"Well...I'd never kissed anyone before, so..."

"Let me show you." Millie murmured, grabbing Hermione by the back of her neck, pulling her forward, not caring that her grip was a bit too tight, or that she hadn't even asked. Hermione didn't even fight her.

Their lips connected. Both girls groaned at the touch, and Millie felt as though she was on fire. Every nerve ending felt like it was tingling, and her lips...Hermione's lips were soft against hers, yielding, letting her take control of the kiss. Millie wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer still. Everything went quiet...it felt so...right. While she had Harry had had fun kissing, this was...something else. Something special.

Millie tilted her head, trying to memorize the feel of Hermione's mouth against hers. It felt...perfect.

They finally parted, gasping for air. Hermione's lips were pink, and her eyes looked a bit glassy. "Wow."

Millie stood quickly, and scrambled out of the training room, leaving Hermione sitting there on the floor by herself.

Hermione just there, still dazed. "Wow." She repeated to herself.

x-x-x

Harry noted something odd was happening with his friend on the morning of the first task. She'd been rather quiet lately, he'd realized, but hadn't really noticed it until now. He had been rather preoccupied with his upcoming battle with a bloody dragon, after all. Millie wasn't eating all that much, she was just pushing her food about on her plate.

"Mil?"

No response.

"Millie?' Harry snapped his fingers in front of the girl, making her jump.

"Huh?"

Harry gave her a look. "What is up with you today?"

The other girls looked over at them, stopping their gossip. Millie glanced over at the Gryffindor table before she could help it, and Harry noticed. "It's nothing." Millie said quietly.

Harry raised a brow, and he took a sip of his tea. "Well, if anyone here shouldn't be feeling hungry, it should be me. I'm facing a dragon today!"

Millie winced. "I'm sorry Harry..."

"No. It's alright. I've got to go get ready soon, so make sure you and the others go get that banner. I'll see you in the stands, okay?"

He kissed her cheek and stood, and Millie felt suddenly guilty. As Harry was leaving the Great Hall, Millie looked over at the Gryffindor table once more. Hermione sat there, looking a bit pale herself. Their gazes met, and then quickly separated. Things had been awkward, since...their kiss. They hadn't spoken a handful of words to each other, and it didn't look like they'd get over their nerves anytime soon.

x-x-x

Harry stood in the tent with the other four champions. They had just chosen their 'dragons'. Harry was stuck with the Horntail, of course. From their research, that was the toughest out of the four dragons that were in the task. Not only that, all four were nesting mothers, and they were to retrieve an egg. This was...going to be traumatizing. Harry hoped beyond all hopes that he could survive this thing with the least amount of damage, and the least amount of 'showing off'.

Harry wore black dragonhide armor and gloves, wearing plain black robes to cover it all. The rest of the champions had their school colors on, along with their names. Harry had opted out of that.

He listened to the others while they performed. They all survived, thankfully, but they were all injured. Harry was last, of course. He fiddled with the plait in his hair nervously as he watched Madam Pomfrey and the other healers attend to Viktor's burns. The boy would be alright- no permanent damage.

Harry took a deep breath as he left the tent. He stood in a rocky expanse, with only his wand. Nothing else had been allowed, unfortunately. Harry felt naked without his other weapons. Still, the girls were holding some weapons with them in the stands, in case he needed to summon them quickly.

He saw the egg on the other side of the expanse, and his heart jolted. Would it really be so easy? He heard a huge screech, and the Horntail came out of nowhere. He ducked behind some rocks, and waved his wand. "Accio golden egg!" He yelled. He had to try it...surely they wouldn't be that stupid. Right?

To Harry's amazement, the egg zoomed into his hands, and Harry ran out of the rocky area. Everyone was shocked for a moment, and then they burst into cheers. Harry collapsed once inside the tent, clutching that stupid egg to his chest.

"Mr. Potter, are you hurt?" Madam Pomfrey came over, looking worried.

Harry rolled onto his back, and started to laugh. He was feeling a bit hysterical at the moment.

"Mr. Potter, your scores..." The woman said, looking at him strangely. "Are you alright?"

Harry sat up, wiping a tear from his eye, grinning. "Yeah. I'm good." He sighed, and got up from the ground. He came out of the tent, hearing the dragon handlers struggling as they wrestled the horntail back into her cage. Harry saw the Judges stand up with their placards.

Dumbledore gave him a ten, eyes twinkling like mad. Crouch gave him an eight, Bagman gave him a ten. Madam Maxine gave him an eight, while Karkaroff gave him a six. Harry honestly didn't care what he got, he was just glad he was alive. Really? Had he just finished that task with a fourth year level spell? He came in second. Viktor had come in first, even though Harry hadn't been injured, and he'd gotten his egg within a minute. Harry guessed that they'd wanted more of a show. Whatever. He was done with the dragon.

Harry tossed the egg in his hands as he grinned at his gobsmacked friends over in the stands.

x-x-x

Who saw that coming? Any of you? I'm laughing right now, just so you all know. So...what did you all think about the Millie/Hermione action? Yeah, they might have kissed, but things aren't going to be that easy for our two girls... please review.


	36. Chapter 36

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry and Fleur watched Astoria and Rosie help little Gabrielle with her footwork. They were in an AKDA meeting, and Gabrielle was now officially their youngest member. She was only nine, but she was so enthusiastic (meaning, she bugged her older sister) that she wanted to be a part of the group. Astoria and Rosie wanted to help, of course, and here they were.

Harry noticed that Fleur was like him, usually choosing to help the others rather than duel and such herself. His research about her hadn't offered much in the way of her training. He knew that she made good scores in school and on her exams- straight O's across the board on her OWLS. She didn't like the press all that much, but she put up with it- she was an Ambassador's daughter, so her Family traveled extensively. He also knew that she was very, very protective of her little sister. Astoria had been allowed to come with Fleur on this trip, because of some reason or another, even though the little girl was too young to be a part of the contingent. She was only a little firstie at Beaubaxtons- they started their schooling a bit earlier there.

Fleur called out to her sister, saying something in french, and her sister responded likewise. Harry did not know French, but some of the others did. It made him wish that that had been part of his training. Most purebloods knew French, Spanish, and Latin...well, the smarter ones did, anyways. Severus actually knew five languages, because he was a smartie-pants. Harry wasn't jealous or anything, he just didn't have time on top of everything else to learn a language.

Fleur pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail, and Harry wondered if the girl hated all the attention she got from guys. Harry wouldn't be surprised if she did. He'd noticed that the girl didn't have a lot of friends. She tended to just hang out with Gabrielle when they weren't in AKDA meetings. He supposed girls would be jealous of her good looks. She kept distant from everyone, except for Harry and her sister. He figured it was to protect herself. He didn't blame her.

"Fleur, has anyone asked you to the Ball yet?"

The girl made a face. "Yes."

Harry stifled a laugh. "Sorry. That bad, huh?"

Fleur crossed her arms over her chest. "Some boys here at this school are very, very dumb." She glanced at Harry, winking at him. "I wish they could be a bit more like you."

Harry giggled. "You flatter me. I'm sure there's a guy out there that's not a complete idiot." He motioned to Dean, who was dueling Hermione. "He's pretty smart, and he's not slobbering all over you." And he wasn't that bad looking, either, but Harry didn't have to say that.

Fleur studied Dean for a bit. "I do not want to go with a boy that could take advantage, and...I think he may have plans to ask that Lovegood girl."

Harry's brows raised, and he looked over at Luna, who was sitting in the corner, marking up old issues of the Daily Prophet, wearing her spectrespects. What was she doing anyways?

"So...who are you going to go with?" He asked Fleur, setting that aside for now.

Fleur sighed, watching her sister with Astoria and Rosie. "Some boy that looks decent enough and doesn't try to grab me anytime we're alone." She offered Harry a small smile. "Too bad you're taken."

"Millie's my girlfriend." Harry pointed out.

"Well, your girlfriend is eyeing up one of your other friends, that Granger girl, when she thinks no one is looking." Fleur stated with a slight quirk of her lips.

"Notice that, did you?" Harry said, dropping his voice even further.

"And I know you have a thing for your Professor...naughty boy, no?" She winked at Harry. "Amour is easy to find, when you know what to look for, and when you're a _half-breed_ like me." She started to walk away, and Harry grabbed her arm. She looked visibly surprised at his tight grip.

Harry glanced to the others in the room. No one was looking their way. Their eyes met, and Harry narrowed his eyes. "You can't breathe a word about this. Our friends don't even know."

"I've known for a while now, 'arry. I am not about to start talking now." She whispered. "I can see why you like him. 'e is probably very dominating in bed, no?" She waggled her eyebrows.

Harry flushed. "I'm not talking about this right now, especially here with you."

Gabrielle spoke up, getting their attention. "Miss Rosie, Miss Astoria, thank you for 'elping me!"

"You're welcome, Gabby." Astoria said sweetly.

Rosie grinned. "And it gives us good practice too. I'm thinking about participating Junior League dueling competition this year. What do you think?"

Dean spoke up casually, as he finished beating Hermione into the ground. "It'll be tough. You sure you'll be able to handle it?"

"Two words. Prize money. I'm not bloody rich, like the rest of the contestants. I'm not in it for the glory."

Dean smiled at this, helping Hermione on. He ruffled Rosie's curls playfully. "That's my girl. Well then, you and Astoria will have quite a bit of work ahead of you."

"Me? Why should I train even more because Rosie wants to be in some stupid dueling competition?" Astoria sniffed.

Harry spoke up. "She's your friend, and the two of you are evenly matched. It would be good for both of you."

x-x-x

Harry was in the middle of charms when there was a brisk knock at the door. Flitwick called out gaily. "Come in!"

Viktor was at the door. "Professor Flitwick. May I ask for permission that Lord Potter be pulled out class for today?"

"...ah yes. Official Tournament business, then? Alright, Mr. Potter, off you go."

Harry got up from his desk, putting his things away quickly. He caught Millie's eye, and shook his head slightly. He didn't know what this was about. He followed Viktor out into the corridor, and the boy led the way.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, shouldering his bag.

"Dumbledore's office." The boy said brusquely. "The man that submitted your name has been found. He...escaped, though."

Harry internally screamed in frustration, but did not show his anger on his face. "I see."

"Haff you found a partner for the Ball?"

Harry frowned. "I'm going with Millie, of course."

"...Of course." The boy echoed, walking up the stairs. Fleur had accepted an invitation from Rodger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain. He was fairly intelligent, and rather polite, so it was alright. Rumor had it that Cedric was going to ask Cho Chang any day now. They walked in silence for a bit, and Harry spoke once more. He thought it a bit odd Viktor hadn't asked anyone yet.

"Why are you asking?"

"...I am needing a date for the Ball." Harry's eyes went wide at this, and they stopped in the middle of the staircase. Viktor turned to him, eyes to the floor.

"I...am like you." The boy confessed. "I am not...being interested in the girls that follow me."

Harry glanced around nervously. "...I don't know what you mean..." Their eyes met, and Harry sighed. Was he really that obvious?

"Oh...alright. I'll help you get a date. Someone that I know won't expect things." Harry took him by the arm, leading him up the stairs a bit further. "How about my friend Hermione? She hasn't got a date yet, and I think she'd probably ask you more questions about your country and...culture, or whatever, than to flirt with you."

"Ah, your smart friend. The one that is being in the library a lot. She is pretty. No one has asked her yet?"

Harry shook his head. "No, not really. You don't have to ask her if you don't want to, but I think you guys could be friends. You'll have fun."

"...I think I will be asking her." Viktor said with a small smile. They came to a stop in front of the Headmaster's office. "Do you have...lover?" He said this last word very softly, and Harry swore he saw the boy blush.

"Viktor..." Harry sighed. "I do. I've been with him a while now. You must swear you won't tell anyone."

The boy gave him a curt nod. "I am swearing I will not be telling anyone your secrets."

Harry felt the vow click into place, and both boys knew that that vow would cover much more than what had just been disclosed. Harry took a deep breath. "Alright, let's go see what the Headmaster has to say."

x-x-x

Harry came into the Great Hall late that evening, still feeling a bit discombobulated after his long day. After the meeting in the Headmaster's office, he had to meet with a few other people. Barty Crouch Sr. had been arrested on the spot when the real Moody had yelled that the man's son had been the culprit, that Barty Crouch Jr. really wasn't dead. Tonks was very happy to help her old teacher out, and now the two were in the hospital wing, helping him recover from the mess that the fake Moody left behind. Defense Classes would be canceled, and begin again with the new year.

The Bulgarian and French minister had been there, as well as Fudge and the Headmaster, Karkaroff, and Madam Maxine. Fleur and Cedric had been there as well. The news would hit the papers in the morning- Barty Crouch Jr. was on the loose. There would be an international manhunt for him. Unfortunately, Moody was unable to find out what the man's plans were exactly, before he was attacked.

Harry doubted the Deatheater would be found. He was probably with his Master already. His job had already been completed- Harry was in a Tournament he had little chance of winning. Hopefully Lucius would find out something soon about the man, perhaps where he was hiding out, or what he was going to do now. The Mark had been darkening slowly all term, not that anyone was coming forward with that information. But Harry had seen it, not only on Severus' arm, but Lucius' as well. And according to Severus, Karkaroff was starting to panic, as his mark was getting darker. Lucius had been meeting with some old associates, and they were whispering and gathering together privately, trying to figure out what was happening.

He sat next to Millie at the table, frowning as he saw his friend. She looked as though she'd been crying.

"Mil?"

The girl pushed her food about her plate. "What's wrong?" Harry asked quietly.

Millie sighed roughly. "Nothing. I'm going to head to bed." Harry frowned, and followed her. Well, he would just have to wait on dinner, then. The House elves would be happy to help him out. He followed her out of the Great Hall, grabbing her arm and turning her around.

"Mil, what's going on?" He asked, worried now.

Millie started to cry. "Hermione. Krum asked her to go to the ball with him, and she-she said yes!" She wailed.

Harry's eyes widened. Oops. He wiped her tears away, kissing her forehead. "Come on Mil, let's go down to the kitchens and stuff ourselves full of ice cream."

" 'm not hungry." The girl muttered.

An hour later, the two of them sat in the kitchens, feeling bloated from all the ice cream they had eaten. Millie laid back, in a sugar coma.

"Merlin...I ate so much...that's going to ruin my diet."

Harry rolled his eyes at this. "Now, tell me what's going on. You've been acting weird lately."

Millie leant forward, hiding her head in her arms. "I kissed Hermione."

Harry's eyes widened. "What? When?"

"...ages ago."

"What happened? Are you two..."

"...I ran away afterwards." Millie confessed. "I...I was scared."

Harry sighed, running his hand through her hair. "Well...it's perfectly natural, that you were a bit scared. How did she react, when you kissed her?"

Millie's face popped up from her arms. "Well...I...I guess she liked it. I don't know. I didn't stick around."

"...Well.." Harry frowned thoughtfully. "How did it start?"

Millie squirmed a bit, blushing. "We had been dueling. And...I sort of...tackled her to the floor, and... um...yeah."

Harry began to laugh at this, and Millie swat his arm. "Harry! It's not funny!"

Harry hid his grin behind his hand. "I'm sorry Mil, but it is a bit funny. I think it's cute. To tell you the truth, the reason why Viktor asked Hermione to go to the ball with him is because I recommended it."

"What?" Millie asked with wide eyes.

"Well...he's like us." Harry whispered. "He...um...didn't want to go with a girl that expected things, you know? I thought he and Hermione would get along...they're just going as friends, Mil."

"Oh." Millie breathed a sigh of relief. "So...he doesn't really like her?"

"...I don't think so."

Millie gave him a long look. "You didn't shag him, did you?"

Harry blushed hotly, glaring at her. "No, I did not!"

"...just checking." Millie giggled.

x-x-x

With the Yule Ball just a couple of weeks away, there were mandatory dancing lessons hosted in the Great Hall one Saturday afternoon. The boys sat on ones side of the hall, the girls on the other side. McGonagall and Snape were teaching the lessons. Well, it was really McGonagall. Severus was glowering in the corner. Albus had sort of...roped him into doing this.

Harry gave him a little finger wiggle as the man glanced his way. Severus looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. He was not a happy camper. Harry looked across the way to see all of his girlfriends giggling with each other, obviously comparing the boys that sat across from them.

To Harry's delight, Ron Weasley had been called up to assist McGonagall in the lesson. The poor thing was so mortified, Harry almost pitied him. Almost. The twins mocked him, dancing together playfully, making the guys laugh.

Then...it was their turn. Harry was very confident in his dancing skills- after all, it had been drilled into him by both Ella and Narcissa ages ago. And he liked to dance. He smirked slightly as he saw how nervous Draco was.

Harry nudged the blonde. "Scared?"

"You wish." Draco sneered back, straightening his shoulders and lifting his chin.

Harry's smirk widened at this, and as the students began to pair up, Draco extended his hand to Pansy. The girl looked a bit surprised at this, but accepted. He watched them share a slow smile, and begin to dance gracefully. After all, they'd grown up dancing at various parties and balls- this was a piece of cake for them. They looked good together.

Harry extended his hand to Millie with a smile. The girl accepted his hand, and they began to dance. They didn't really pay attention to McGonagall as she hissed out instructions. Millie had been trained well, but she didn't look as though she was really enjoying herself. Harry followed her gaze, and saw Hermione dancing with Terry Boot. Poor girl- the boy was yakking her ear off. To top it off, Boot seemed to be a bad dancer.

Harry whirled the girl in his arms around, making her laugh softly. He pulled her close, and murmured. "I'll have the AKDA do an impromptu dancing lesson. I'll pair you and Hermione together."

Millie flushed. "You don't need to do that..."

"I'd be honored to." Harry gave her a wink, and bowed gracefully. "Switch?"

Millie took the male stance, while Harry took the female. It took a few minutes before everyone had realised what they'd done, and the pair heard their classmates start to snicker. Harry didn't care.

"Spin me again." He said joyfully, and Millie twirled him about. He spun, and stumbled into someone. He looked sheepishly at Severus, who had his hands on his hips.

"Sir." Harry greeted with a grin. "Care to dance?"

The giggling students went silent and/or gasped.

"You must be very brave, or very stupid, Mr. Potter." Severus sneered.

Harry giggled. "I think you're confusing me for a Gryffindor, Sir." Harry joked, and went right back to dancing with Millie. The surrounding Slytherins laughed rather loudly, as did the Twins and a few others- it was all in good fun.

x-x-x

Harry fidgeted a bit in his dress robes, staring at his reflection. It was the evening of the Yule Ball, and Harry was resigning himself to several hours of boring conversation with officials, networking, and possibly avoiding fangirls and the press. He was dressed perfectly, of course, and was looking forward to see what his friends looked like. He knew that the girls had spent the entire day getting ready, so they would likely be perfectly coifed and looking smashing. Harry, on the other hand, did look good, but it was what he wore underneath his clothes that would really knock Severus off his feet later on tonight.

Harry smirked at his reflection, gingerly adjusting his hair. His hair had been lengthened once more, all the way to the backs of his thighs. He'd pulled part of it back, away from his face, somewhat elaborately. What made him look really different was that he was not wearing his glasses!

He no longer had to wear glasses! He was very, very happy with a certain potion he'd been given by Dean, who'd gotten it from a 'friend'. It was the best Christmas present ever! He was very glad to not have to wear the things anymore- they were dangerous and impairing, in a duel.

He'd gone for something rather unique. While the majority of the boys in the ball would be wearing Black or darker colored robes, he'd chosen to wear a white colored set. The outer robes fit snugly across the shoulders and sleeves, loosening at the chest and mid-back. It would billow rather dramatically when he was dancing. What made the robes very special was that hints of color would be seen as he moved, in the light. The outer robes were made of woven unicorn hair, and had been very, very expensive.

Underneath, he wore a white raw silk shirt, with tiny buttons going down the front. He'd paired a pair of light grey pants, and light grey boots. He'd take the outer robe off as the night wore on, having an elf take it back to his room. He knew he looked quite striking- he was certain no one would forget how he looked tonight.

He took a deep breath, and left his room. The common room went completely silent as he entered. He saw his yearmates waiting by the door- it looked as though most of the older students had gone on.

"...Harry, you look great!" Pansy squealed.

"Thank you Pansy. You look lovely as well. Where is Millie?"

Daphne replied, looking at Harry up and down slowly. "Still in her room. She'll be out soon."

Harry raised a brow. "Still? She's not one for primping, that one..."

Tracey giggled. "She didn't even start getting ready until an hour ago, apparently she'd been training all afternoon!"

Harry chuckled at this, looking to the boys. Draco looked at Harry approvingly. "Looking good, Potter. Of course, I look better."

Harry rolled his eyes at this. "Why don't you lot go on? Millie and I will be there soon."

The others left, and Harry waited. He glanced at the clock on the wall, and another five minutes passed. Then, Astoria came running out of the girl's dorms, straight to Harry.

"Wow...you look beautiful!" The girl squeaked.

Harry smiled. "Thank you darling. Have you seen Millie?"

Astoria blushed, ducking her head down. "Yes. Um...she's nearly ready. She...um, changed her outfit."

Harry's brows raised. "She did?"

Millie entered the common room, and it went silent once more. Harry's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. The girl was wearing pants. Oh...wow. All of the girls in the room completely shocked.

Millie strode into the common room, ignoring the stares, and approached Harry. Harry gave her an approving look. She did look very, very good. Instead of the dark purple gown that her Mother had sent, Millie was wearing muggle clothing, of all things, that they'd picked up during the summer. Black dressy trousers, with black heeled boots. She also wore a dark red button down shirt, a black vest, and a black blazer. She had a bit of makeup on, and she looked absolutely fantastic. The cut of the outfit she wore gave her a great shape, and showed off her awesome bum and legs.

"Wow." They said in unison.

Harry grinned, offering his arm to Millie. "Shall we head out?"

Millie grinned, and the girl accepted his arm. The two of them left the common room together.

"Seeing us dressed like this together makes me feel like I should be the one offering my arm." She whispered to him, just before the arrived to the staircase.

Harry gave her a grin. "Want to play a prank?"

Millie raised a brow, and they switched arms. They walked down the stairs slowly, and the students who were at the foot of the stairs gawked at them openly. Harry saw Dean coming forward. He was wearing a dark blue suit paired with a white shirt. His dreadlocks were pulled back loosely. Luna was attached to his hand, and she wore a pale blue cocktail muggle dress that suited her rather well.

He could make out Dean saying "Oh my God".

Harry squeezed Millie's hand, giving the girl a bit of courage. He could practically feel her nervousness building. Harry could hear the music going in the Great Hall, and he saw the other Champions now. They were all talking quietly to each other, not having seen them yet.

The other students began to hurry into the Great Hall- Harry knew that the Champions were to enter the Hall together, and lead the first dance. Hermione saw him first. She looked rather striking in a dark red dress, her hair tamed in an updo. The other followed Hermione's gaze, and Fleur was the first to react.

"Merlin, you two look so precious!" Fleur murmured, kissing both of them on the cheeks. "So handsome, so beautiful!" Harry didn't know who she was talking to, but he didn't care. Millie blushed hotly as Fleur kissed her cheek.

McGonagall strode into the atrium, stopping short as she saw Harry and Millie. "Ah...all of you, pair up with your partners, and begin your dance. Please...watch your steps. You are representing your schools." She then opened the Great Hall doors. Cedric and Cho led the way, followed by Fleur and Davies, then Viktor and Hermione, and then Harry and Millie.

Harry ignored the stares, grip tightening on Millie's arm as they passed the crowds, and began to dance. Millie began to lead, and the students surrounding them started to giggle. Oh well. Harry wasn't representing any particular school, right? Might as well have some fun tonight while he could.

Harry was twirled about, and then he twirled Millie about in return. It was a bit hard, as she was taller than him- especcially in those booted heels of hers. Others began to join them on the dance floor.

The ball had actually been fun. He'd managed to dance with all of his girlfriends, and even taught the Weasley boys a few moves or two. He thought Ginny and Neville had looked absolutely adorable together, and he could tell Luna and Dean had lots of fun together. From what he understood, they went as friends, so Luna wouldn't feel out, but Harry got the feeling that Dean had a thing for Luna.

As the night wore down, Harry took a break, sitting at his table. He saw Severus brooding in the corner, as usual. He sighed, shaking his head. That man needed to have more fun. He got up from his table. His fancy dress robe was long gone. He avoided the huge crowd of people dancing by the stage- did he just see Flitwick body surfing? Hmm.

Harry approached the Professor, smiling slightly. "Sir." He gave the slightest of bows.

"...You made quite the impression tonight. Are you even trying anymore?"

Harry just gave the man a grin. "I should go see if Millie's ready to go. I'll see you later, sir." Harry said with a wink, and looked around for his girlfriend. He spotted her, dancing in between two French girls. His eyes widened as he saw one of them subtly grope her in the crowd.

He whistled, making Millie jump, and the girl who'd been next to her, move slightly away.

Harry grinned. "Well, I'm heading to bed. Don't have too much fun, okay?" He said with a relish. "Have a good night, love!" He called out, waving to her as headed for the doors. He was going to spend the rest of the evening with Severus. Preferably on his back, in the man's bed, but any other position would work too.

x-x-x

Harry barely had time to enter Severus' quarters before Severus had the boy bent over the nearest table. A hand gripped his hair, tugging his head back.  
Harry groaned, eyes fluttering closed.

"Keep those eyes closed." Severus growled in his ear, loosening his grip on Harry's hair. He then grabbed the boy's wrists, and bound them with what felt like rope. Huh. Where had that come from? Oh well. He didn't care.

Harry licked his lips as Severus reached around him, undoing his trousers, tugging them down his legs.

The man stroked the lace on his knickers. "Such a pretty boy..." Severus breathed against the back of his neck, laying on top of him, and Harry shuddered. Hands groped his bum, sliding up and down his back.

Harry groaned as he was tugged by his hair once more, making him fall to the ground. He was pushed into a kneeling position on the rug. Harry kept his eyes closed, just as he was told. He could hear rustling, coming from right in front of him.

Harry licked his lips. "Eager, are we?" Severus purred.

Harry nodded quickly, opening his mouth. "Just wet it a bit. I want it ready for when I fuck you."

Harry groaned, leaning forward as a thick cock slid into his mouth. He bobbed a few times, making sure it was quite slick. He was still wearing her shirt, and his trousers were still about his ankles, caught around his shoes. He was getting hard- his cock was close to poking out of his knickers. A hand shoved him onto his back, making Harry twist slightly, not wanting to land on his bound hands.

Severus grabbed him by the wrists and side, and turned him over on his stomach. He shoved Harry's legs apart ceremoniously, pulling his knickers down. Harry hissed as his bum was slapped. He began to get prepared- he really wanted it skipped over so they could just start fucking, but he knew Severus would take his time...Severus was much more patient than he was.

Harry shuddered, his long hair hanging in his face as he felt Severus' fingers thrusting in and out of him. His breathing sped up, and his bound hands fisted up. He could feel Severus' magic getting stronger now...any minute, and the man would be inside him.

"You ready?"

Harry nodded, not trusting his voice. Hands lifted his hips, and he felt Severus' cock slide into him slowly.

Harry exhaled at the intrusion, toes curling as the man started to thrust in and out at a brutally slow place.

"...Please..." Harry began to bed. "Sir..." He knew Severus liked it when he begged.

He gasped as Severus hit his prostate. He arched his back, pushing back on the man's thrusts. He started to quicken.

"Oh...fuck..."

"You're such a dirty little thing, aren't you?"

"Uh huh..." Harry groaned, and the man slapped his bum, hard, making it warm to the touch.

"You like it when I fuck you?'

"Yes sir." Harry panted. He turned his face as he was pushed headfirst into the carpet- the fucking was quickly turning brutal. It hurt, it burned, but in such a good way...

"You look so good pet...so...good...no one else will ever see you like this, right pet?"

"Yes sir." Harry mumured, opening his eyes slowly. He stared into the fireplace that was so near, into the flames. They looked...so pretty.

"I own you, right pet?"

"Yes sir." Harry groaned, arching up slightly as Severus hit a particularly good spot.

"I want you to cum, exactly when I say."

"Yes sir." Harry repeated, trying to hold off as much as he could. He stared into the flames dazedly, as though he was being pinned down, only to keep him from floating away. He wriggled in the bindings around his wrists, letting out a long groan as Severus thrust eagerly into him.

"Alright pet...I want you to cum...now." Severus grunted, spilling himself inside Harry. Harry followed him a moment later, screaming his release. His cum splattered all over Severus' expensive carpet, not that either of them cared at the moment.

They laid there for a moment, and Severus withdrew from Harry carefully, cradling the boy in his arms. Harry laid his head on Severus shoulder as he was turned around.

"How do you feel?" Severus murmured.

"Good. Very good." Harry whispered, kissing the man's neck. Fuck, he hadn't even undressed fully. He really had been eager, hadn't he? Only Severus' trousers had been undone- he still wore the rest of his robes. Damn, he looked hot.

"Alright, let's get you out of this." Severus said, reaching around to undo the ropes around Harry's wrists. He sat Harry up carefully. "You thirsty?"

Harry nodded slowly, still feeling a bit dazed. Severus summoned one of the teacups from a nearby tea table, and filled it with water. He helped Harry drink it, as the boy's hands were still trembling from adrenalin. Their eyes met, and Severus gave him a rare smile.

"There we are. Alright pet, let's get you to bed." He helped Harry to stand, and the two of them went into the bedroom.

x-x-x

Sigh. What did you guys think? Do you think Millie's actions at the ball (not wearing a proper dress, leading Harry in the dance, ect.) will get her in trouble? Do you think Hermione and Millie will ever get together? And who the hell is Harry's 'special person' for the next task? Let me know what you think.

Please review. I will give virtual treats, in the form of the next chapter, lol.


	37. Chapter 37

Love In the Dark

* * *

You know what would be totally awesome? 1,000 reviews! We're so close, I can almost taste it! XD Thanks for everything, guys. As I am writing this, we are just at 150K in hits. Which is fantastic, and I'm very, very happy with that. Woot. Go you, me, all of us. Obviously, I'm very excited about this.

Oh...and don't hate me.

x-x-x

Dean watched Luna as she tried to guess the riddle that would open the Ravenclaw dorms. She smiled. "Socks!" She called out.

"Correct, young Ravenclaw." The statue murmured, and the door opened. The blonde turned to Dean, smiling.

"I had lots of fun tonight Dean. I especially enjoyed dancing!"

Dean wasn't one for dancing- but he couldn't deny that he liked watching Luna dance. Dean took a step towards her, placing her hand in his. Luna looked up at him with those wide grey eyes of hers, a small small playing on her pretty lips.

"Are you going to kiss me?" The girl asked, and Dean swallowed thickly.

"Yeah." Why did he feel so much more nervous about kissing Luna than all the times he'd snogged Hannah and Susan?

He leant forward, and their lips connected. It was gentle and chaste, yet it still had Dean's heart pounding. Luna offered him a small smile, and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him.

"Thank you for my first kiss, Dean." She murmured, and Dean's arms tightened around her.

"I'm glad you had fun tonight." Dean said, tilted the girl's face up.

"You know, it's far after midnight, so technically, it is morning."

The statue next to them sighed, making Luna glance over. The statue closed the portrait door, and Luna tugged Dean down the hallway. "I want to show you something fun!"

"...what?" Dean asked with wide eyes.

"It's nearly Yule, after all, the nargles in the mistletoe are in full breeding season! Let's go. We've still more time before the sun comes up."

"...Okay."

Later on, the two of them were watching the sun rise from a rather large hill on the grounds of Hogwarts. Dean's jacket was wrapped around Luna's shoulders, and while the two of them were freezing, neither of them wanted to move from their spot.

As the sun peeked out from the horizon, Dean wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulders. "This is something to remember, eh?"

The girl nodded, resting her head on Dean's shoulder. "Very pretty." She paused, and spoke again. "Dean...where do you go when leave Hogwarts late at night?"

Dean whipped around, staring at her. "What?" He croaked.

Luna hummed, adjusting her skirts. "I've seen you. I...I followed you until you left the wardlines. Where do you go?"

Dean looked away, frowning. How had he not detected her following him? "...I can't tell you, Luna. It's dangerous."

Luna shook her head, kissing him on the cheek. She moved to straddle his lap, and took his face into her hands. "Dean...please look at me."

Their eyes met, and Luna smiled. The rising sun was behind her, making the effect rather breathtaking. Her hair was long destroyed by hours of dancing and exploring the castle- it was tangled and such, but Dean thought she looked so pretty.

"Luna...you'll never want to be with me...if you knew." He murmured, feeling shameful and guilty. He had blood on his hands. He didn't deserve to touch her.

"Don't be silly." Luna pecked his lips.

Dean grabbed her shoulders, shoving her away a bit. "No...Luna, I've killed people."

The girl stared at him, her smile never fading. "I think I've figured that out, Dean. That doesn't stop me from wanting to be with you." She kissed him again, deeper this time. "I think you're a lovely person, no matter what you think about yourself."

Dean buried his face in her neck, trying to keep himself from crying. He wasn't going to cry, he wasn't! He was supposed to be the strong one.  
He felt Luna's hands touch his dreadlocks.

"I love your hair." Luna whispered. "So pretty." She kissed his cheek again. "And your skin. Your eyes. You are so very special, Dean."

Dean kissed her back, hard. Luna let out a squeak of surprise as one of his hands came to rest on her bum. "Luna..." He croaked. "How could you ever think that about me? I've hurt people, I've killed..."

Luna pressed a finger against his lips. "Everyone deserves love." She whispered softly. "You are a good person, you know. You do what you need to, to help others. You deserve love, just like everyone else."

Dean pulled her hand away from his mouth, and kissed her hard. "You love me?" He breathed.

Luna giggled. "Well, I know I am attracted to you. I know that I like it when you kiss me, and hold me like you are now. I know that I would follow you and Harry in whatever path you may choose. I trust you, and believe in you. I don't know what love is, but I think it's something like that."

"Do you want to go out?" Dean asked.

Luna giggled again. "We are out, silly. If you mean...date...I would be happy to."

x-x-x

Severus woke up groggily, getting an alert of a floo call in his office. His wards were still in full affect, thankfully. He glanced over at the sleeping boy next to him. Normally, he didn't allow Harry to stay the night, but it was allowed just this once. Harry was deep asleep, half covered in blankets. What skin Severus saw, he saw a few light bruises.

He grabbed his dressing gown, checking the clock on the mantle in his sitting room. He frowned, and went to his office. Who would be calling him now? He went into his office, and saw Lucius sitting there, looking stressed.

"Where is Harry?"

Severus frowned. "Safe. What's going on?"

"I've got confirmed knowledge that Crouch has contacted the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord also called several of our associates."

"Who?" Severus asked, sinking into his chair.

"Nott, Avery, and McNair."

"Shit. Why didn't he call us, then?" Severus asked, pulling up the sleeve of his dressing robe.

Lucius looked a bit grim. "Avery contacted me today. I'm to go to the Dark Lord tonight."

"...Oh."

"I will try to find out the Dark Lord's plans." Lucius stated. "Where is Harry?"

"In my bed." Severus said absently, still thinking of the Dark Lord and the men he'd called. Why had he chosen Nott, Avery, and McNair specifically? The three men were not big in the brains department, they were more brawn than anything. Why them?

"Your bed?" Lucius' mouth dropped open. "So you two finally did the deed?"

Severus arched a brow. "We've been fucking since the summer."

He saw the lightest bit of color on Lucius' cheeks, and Severus knew his old friend was probably trying to imagine them together. Pervert. "Oh." He breathed.

"I will go get him. I know you'll want to spend time with Narcissa today, so we'll make it quick."

Severus led Lucius into his quarters, and he went into the bedroom to wake Harry. Harry groaned, arching his back as he stretched a bit. "Good morning, sir." Harry murmured, a playful smile on his lips. "Last night was fantastic..."

"Lucius will be meeting with the dark lord tonight."

Harry's smile dropped immeadiately. He grabbed Severus' discarded shirt, and pulled it on quickly. "He in the sitting room?"

"Yes." Harry managed to put a few buttons up, but didn't bother dressing properly as he entered the sitting room. Lucius gave the slightest of bows to Harry, keeping his eyes to the floor.

"Harry. I've recieved confirmation that the Dark Lord is gathering his followers. He called Avery, Nott, and McNair to him last night. Avery contacted me today, and said that the Dark Lord would contact me tonight."

"Fuck." Harry muttered. "Well...it's not as though we were unprepared for this. Will you go?"

"Of course. I will find out what I can, see about his health and things. I will report here as soon as I can. The Dark Lord may be watching me, so I may not be able to contact you straight away."

"...That's fine Lucius." Harry murmured, wondering when Lucius had become so subservient to him. "Thank you for informing us. Go home, be with Narcissa."

Lucius' gaze drifted over Harry's form, lingering over his bare legs. "Yes." He gave a slight bow to Harry, and left the room. Severus followed him out, and Harry sat down on the floor, staring into the fireplace. Severus returned a moment later.

"Harry?"

"When did Lucius become so subserviant to me?" Harry murmured.

Severus watched the teenager on the floor carefully. He didn't look upset, or sound upset, but he could tell the boy was slightly disturbed by this fact.

"He's been like that for a while. Harry...Lucius recognizes power when he sees it. He wants to help you. You know that."

"...It's just...he bowed to me. He's done it before, but...it didn't occur to me how...I know it's traditional and all that rot, but..." Harry's words didn't come out right, his confusion clear.

"He wants to help you."

"...I thought he would call me Master at any moment." Harry whispered. He turned around slightly, looking at Severus with wide fearful eyes. "And...part of me wanted him to! Severus...why is this happening? I don't want to lead people, I really don't-"

Severus knelt beside his lover, and kissed him gently. "Harry...you are a leader. You don't want to be, but it comes naturally to you. And...some people just recognize this. Like Lucius. If...if he ever does call you that one day...let him."

"But...why? Harry asked, visibly surprised. "I'm...I'm submissive, your submissive-" Severus cut him off with a shake of the head.

"Yes, you are my submissive, but you and I both know that you can lead others very easily. Let things happen naturally. Just make sure to not abuse this power you have." Severus brushed Harry's bangs back. "Let's go get ready for the day. Hopefully no one will have noticed you gone."

x-x-x

Harry smiled as he looked at the newspaper. There was a picture of the four champions, dancing with their dates. Harry loved having the Daily Prophet on his side- instead of making fun of him and Millie, they had called them funny and a good looking pair. Still, Millie was worried as she sat beside him. It was shaping up to be a long weekend for all of them.

Lucius hadn't returned from his meeting with the Dark Lord, yet. Dean and Luna were officially going out, as were Pansy and Draco. Harry had caught them snogging, and he really, really hadn't wanted to see them doing that. Fleur and Roger Davies apparently didn't work out too well, as it was rumored that the boy was up in the hospital wing for some reason, and Fleur hadn't shown her face yet. Gabrielle wasn't around either, so no one really knew what happened.

Viktor and Hermione, on the other hand, had hit it off quite well, and talked nearly nonstop about Viktor's home country. They were shaping up to be fast friends. While Harry did like this, he didn't like Millie's reaction to it.

The girl stared at the picture of herself. "Mother's going to kill me. I know she is."

"Mil, don't worry." Harry squeezed her arm. "You look fantastic. Maybe she'll come to you for styling tips?"

They both went quiet as Severus approached them at the table, looking rather grave. "Miss Bulstrode, please follow me."

The girl glanced towards Harry, and Harry gave her an encouraging nod.

Millie followed her Professor to the dungeons. "It's my Mum, isn't it?" The girl asked a little fearfully.

"Yes, it is. She was rather...upset."

Millie blanched. "You...you don't think she and Father will disown me, do you?" She asked quietly as they went down the stairs.

"Miss Bulstrode, I doubt it will come to that. Your Father is a good man, he would never allow that to happen." They entered Severus' office. Severus held out his jar of floo powder to her. "Be back within the hour, or at least let me know when you will be coming back."

"Yes Professor." The girl murmured, hand shaking slightly as she grabbed the bit of floo powder, and threw it into the fireplace. She stepped into the flames, and came spinning out into her parent's sitting room.

Her eyes went wide at the way it looked. It was a complete mess- dishes were shattered, books were all about the place- even the trophy case was a mess. What had happened here?

"Mother? Father?" Millie called out, feeling a bit scared now.

Lady Bulstrode came into the sitting room, looking completely pissed off. She was wearing a black gown, and her hair and makeup looked...off. What... Then she saw her oldest brother come into the room, and her heart began to pound. "What's going on?"

"Your Father..." Lady Bulstrode began, her mouth pinched. "Fell ill last night. A heart attack. It was quite violent."

"Oh...oh Merlin. Is he okay?" Millie asked, grabbing hold of the nearest chair.

"No. Your Father is dead."

Millie didn't make it to the chair. She sank to the floor, and her tears started to fall.

Her oldest brother glanced at their Mother, and went to his sister. "Millicent..." He helped her to stand, and into the chair.

"Don't coddle her! It's all her fault!" The woman screeched, making both her brother and Millie flinch.

"My...my fault?" Millie asked tearfully.

"Yes! After he saw you in the papers, leading that Potter boy around, wearing that...outfit! And your hair! We're a disgrace, a laughingstock!"

Millie started to shake her head. "Mother...no..."

"Your poor Father saw you two and-"

"Mother, please-" Her brother began.

"No! Jeffrey, you may be Lord Bulstrode now, but I am still your Mother! Millicent, you and I will be going to the salon to fix that hair of yours, and-"

"No." Millie said, her voice flat. She stood up, clenching her fists. "I don't believe you." She wiped her tears away angrily. "Da would never, ever have reacted that way to seeing me and Harry in the paper. Never! He loved me! He liked Harry! He...he was okay with us! You have to be lying!"

Lady Bulstrode moved forward in a flash, and slapped her daughter hard across the face. Millie stood there in shock for a moment, and turned to her Mother slowly.

"I'm leaving now. I'll have an elf get my things." Mil growled, her voice sounding rather dangerous. "I don't want to ever see you again."

She headed for the fireplace, and her Mother grabbed her arm. Mil quickly dislodged it, and drew out her wand in a flash. She saw fear in her Mother's eyes for the first time, and then saw her Brother move slightly in front of their Mother, to protect her. Her brother was pretty good in a duel, she remembered, but after being stuck at a desk job for the past few years, he was probably out of practice. She could take him, but she wasn't going to risk it.

Mil laughed, coldly, feeling no happiness, no love for the remainder of her family. "I never loved you, Mother. And you know what? I'm gay." And with that, she flooed out of the house.

She stumbled back into her Professor's office, and found herself alone. He obviously hadn't expected her to return so quickly. She threw up violently, dropping her wand to the floor. She cried and sobbed for the loss of her Father, and her family.

The Professor found her there a short while later. He had an elf clean up her mess, and then go to the Bulstrode manor to pick up Millie's things. The girl sobbed in his arms as she told him what had happened, about everything. About how her Mother's verbal and emotional abuse all these years finally just...exploded. Knowing that her brothers would side with their Mother in this, and just having this gut feeling that something else had happened to her Father. He couldn't have died that way, could he?

x-x-x

That evening, Mil laid in the hospital wing, waking up from a heavy dose of dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes groggily, and looked at everyone around her. Most of the Slytherin girls were at her bedside, and Harry was holding her hand. Dean and Hermione stood at the end of her bed, looking concerned.

"Mil? You awake?" Harry asked gently.

The girl nodded, sitting up slowly.

"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

Mil shook her head, running her hands through her hair. "Did you find out anything?" She asked them, knowing that they probably did, already.

Dean and Harry exchanged a fleeting look, and she noticed. "Later." Harry murmured, brushing his hand through her hair. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Like shit." Mil muttered.

Pansy spoke up. "The elves delivered your things to your room this afternoon. Apparently your...Mother threw quite a fit when they took all the paintings."

Mil's mouth dropped open in surprise. "The paintings?"

"The muggle ones." Tracey pointed out.

Mil started to cry again, hiding her face in her hands. Harry motioned to the others, and they began to leave. Only Hermione, Harry, and Dean remained behind.

Harry sat next to her on the bed, wrapping her up in a hug. "Darling, everything will be okay. I know it hurts like crazy right now..."

"I told Mother that I was gay." She whispered, pulling away from Harry slightly. "I didn't even look to see their reactions. I left right afterwards. It...it was sort of like...well, I might as well tell them. Like..."

"One big 'fuck you'?" Dean said with a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Harry sighed, his hug tightened around her. "Well...we'll deal with it if they talk. They probably won't. But if they do...it's alright."

"...so it's true, then?" Hermione asked nervously. "And...you're okay with it?" She asked Harry.

"Of course I am." He turned back to Mil. "Do you need anything, Mil?"

"My drawing supplies?" The girl sniffled.

"Got it." The boy pecked her on the lips. "I'll be right back, darling."

x-x-x

Harry was quiet in Severus' office, curled up in the man's lap. Lucius and Narcissa sat together, while Dean paced the length of the office.

"I can't believe that bitch." The boy muttered. "Saying something like that to Mil is unexcusable."

"We could have Lady Bulstrode put away, but with her political influence, I'm not sure if that's a good idea." Narcissa said quietly.

"She killed him!" Harry yelled. "She has to be put away!"

Lucius frowned. "We don't know that for certain. We are only going by what their House Elves said. These statements from the elves will not be admissible in any trial. And Lady Bulstrode will undoubtedly forbid them for speaking about it soon."

"But...the Aurors surely would have seen the damage and thought there was foul play..."

Lucius shook his head, looking grave. "It's easy to make them look the other way."

"Money." Harry said, sounding disgusted. "It was all about fucking money. I hate people, sometimes."

Narcissa squeezed her husband's hand. "Harry, people can be very greedy, and Lady Bulstrode was one of them. But for the woman to hate her husband so much for spending money on his daughter..."

"We have to do something about it." Dean growled. "Mil is miserable, we can't just...let it go. That bitch has to pay."

x-x-x

Um...I'm just going to say that certain parts of this chapter weren't actually planned for later on in the story. It just sort of...came out on it's own. This changes things a bit. Okay, a lot. I wasn't planning on having this happen so early, but...it...works. I hope you guys don't hate me. Thanks for reading, and please review.


	38. Chapter 38

Love In the Dark

* * *

Someone called Millie a badass. I loved it, although Millie doesn't really sound like a BAMF name. If you notice, as her character progresses, Millie's name has gradually been shortened to Mil in the past few chapters. Just pointing that out. XD

I'm just going to say I almost cried writing that last chapter. Coming up, the second task! Thanks for all of your reviews.

x-x-x

Mil barely registered all of the other people in the room with her, sitting next to Harry as Lucius explained his most recent visit to the Ministry.

"Fudge is pressuring us to let it go. I don't know how this woman managed to do this. She must have information or something on him, because no amount of money is changing that man's mind." Lucius stated, frowning.

Narcissa looked to Mil. "Millicent, what do you think our course of action should be?"

Harry squeezed her arm at this, and Mil spoke quietly. "I want to know what the breaking point was. The elves said that there was an argument, about money, but they didn't say anything more than that?"

"No. They were obviously instructed not to talk about details."

Mil suddenly smirked. "Perhaps Father left Mother destitute. It would serve her right."

Harry bit his lip. "Do you think maybe...well, we could have someone go in. Make it look like an accident..."

Mil shook her head at this. "No...I want her to suffer. I want her to pay. My...My Father's will reading is in two days. Maybe we'll find out that he left everything to me. That could be why she was so pissed off."

Lucius and Severus exchanged a look, and knew this couldn't be the case. Not only was Millie the youngest of the family, but the only daughter. Even if she had been her Father's favorite, there was no legal way she could gain the majority of the money or properties.

Mil spoke again. "Let's talk about something else now. Lord Malfoy, any other news about the Dark Lord?"

Harry smiled wanly at the way Millie had smoothly taken control of the conversation, and Lucius spoke. "Actually, yes. I've found that the Dark Lord is calling his followers to him, but only a few at a time. Probably to keep a low profile. He is recruiting, certainly, and gathering information. He has big plans to regain a body in a ritual on June 21st, which coincides with the Summer Solstice, and the day of the final task. He hasn't given us any details about what exactly will occur."

"Well...shit. Find out what you can about this ritual. Has he spoke of any plans that are to happen afterwards?"

Lucius frowned, lips thinning. "He is hoping that all of this will be shrouded in secrecy, so after he regains his body, he will be recruiting even more. As it is, I believe he's already made contact with Greyback."

Harry stood. "I will contact Remus and Sirius, and put them on alert. Remus has quietly been gaining ground with the local packs, hopefully we will have their support before Greyback approaches them. We need to make the Ministry somehow aware of what's going on."

Lucius spoke carefully. "I cannot do this. The Dark Lord is having the others watch me very, very carefully."

Dean moved to stand by the fireplace, looking at the flames. "Do you think we should strike at them now, privately, in their homes, before things get bad?"

Harry looked at Dean worriedly. "Dean...you're talking about breaking into warded manors and killing men in their sleep."

Dean whirled around. "Well, what do you want to do then? Wait until we see them on the battlefield? Wait until they're hurting everyone else?"

Harry stood, approaching his friend. He was worried for him. "Dean.." He touched Dean's arm. Dean shifted away, just slightly, and Harry knew something was wrong. Lately, he and Dean hadn't been talking about Dean's missions, and Harry got the feeling that it was going a bit rough. Things were rough all over, and everyone was getting a bit stressed out. And to think, the Dark didn't even have his body yet.

"We can't do that, Dean. Not yet. It is an option, yes, but I think we need to plan things out more. Keep gathering information, contacts, supplies. If we start killing people, the Dark Lord will know that we're up to something. Lucius' cover could be blown."

Dean relaxed a bit at this, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry." Harry hugged him. The others looked away discreetly.

x-x-x

Millie sat at a very long table in a fancy office, waiting for the Goblin that had been in charge of the family estate to enter the room. There was a guard posted by the door, and sitting across from her, was her three brothers, and Mother.

Her eldest brother sat by their Mother's side. The woman was ignoring Mil completely, wearing all black, and a black veil that covered her face. She was sniffling and carrying on, and Mil hated it. Her parents never had a loving relationship. She figured the only reason they had more than one child was because her Mother wanted a daughter so badly.

Millie was wearing some black trousers and a black button down shirt, the trousers from the muggle world, and the shirt from Knockturne. She wore the same boots she'd worn to the ball. She kept her hand discretely on her wand, in her pocket. Harry was waiting outside for her, along with Narcissa and Lucius. They weren't allowed inside for the Will reading, but had come along anyways for support.

The goblin finally arrived, and stopped at the Head of the table. "We shall begin." The goblin said shortly, opening a file. "The title of Lord has already been transferred to Jeffrey Grieg Bulstrode, the eldest son. As Lord, you will have control of the Estate and all investments, assets, and properties totalling a sum of 80,000 Galleons, excluding Bulstrode Manor." Her eldest brother shifted in his seat at this, face carefully blank. Her Brother was already married, and would probably be moving into the manor with his wife any day now. Their Mother would become a Dowager, and her brother's wife would become Lady Bulstrode. But Millie would have sworn that their family had more money than that...

"Henry Barnaby Bulstrode, you will receive the late Lord Bulstrode's collection of swords and daggers, along with the deed for the townhouse in London." Her brother smiled widely at this. He already lived in the townhouse with his wife, but there was no way they would be kicked out now. "You will also recieve 20,000 Galleons, to be put in a trust fund for any future children that you have." The man's smile faded slightly at this. Henry was a greedy bastard, Millie privately thought it was a good idea to put the money in a trust fund, otherwise, it would have been gambled away.

"And to Samuel Brian Bulstrode, you will receive the deed for the summer cottage in Brightwall, 20,000 Galleons, and the Late Lord Bulstrode's wand." Sam looked a bit surprised at this- according to tradition, their Mother would have gotten the wand. Still, the money would be welcome. The young man was engaged, but it was unlikely they would marry soon- he was a workaholic.

The Goblin then spoke one last time. "And to Millicent Francine Bulstrode, you will receive the deed to a House in Liverpool-" Their Mother looked enraged at this. Millie was a bit shocked- they had a House in Liverpool? It must have been bought very, very recently. "You will also receive the entirety of the Bulstrode family art and artifacts collection, 40,000 Galleons, and the Bulstrode Grimoire."

Everyone gasped at this, and her eldest brother glared at her outright. Mil tried to keep from shrinking back in her seat. She had never, ever expected to get the Grimoire- she hadn't even been allowed to touch it! Their artifacts collection held some of the rarest items in the UK- most of it was priceless- as was the Grimore. She'd definitely gotten the better deal, in comparison to her Brothers.

"In addition to these things, you will also receive the deed to a storefront in Diagon Alley as soon as you turn seventeen years of age." The little Goblin handed out the various forms and paperwork, although no one moved a muscle.

Mil could tell her Mother was furious. Mil stared at the paperwork in front of her in confusion. Her brothers signed their paperwork quickly, and it was then that Millie realized that her Mother had not received a thing. Good.

She stared at the deed to the storefront- she didn't know they owned a storefront. The Goblin looked her way. "Miss Bulstrode, is there anything I can assist you with?"

"When did Father buy the the storefront, and when did he buy the House in Liverpool? I didn't even know we had these things."

"That's because he bought them for _you_." Lady Bulstrode hissed, raising her veil. Mil leant back in her seat, hand going to her wand.

"For her?" Jeffrey said with a frown.

Their Mother sniffed. "Yes. Said that Millie would need a way to support herself in case...things didn't work out with...he knew!" The woman screeched, standing up. "He knew that you were gay!"

Mil shrank back at this, and the goblin guard at the door advanced towards their Mother. The woman sat back down, knowing better than to attack anyone in Gringott's.

"You're...you're gay? But...what about Potter?" Sam asked, visibly confused.

Mil crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide her nervousness, not answering her brother's question. "So he bought the house for me too, probably because he knew you'd kick me out." The girl growled.

"No." The woman bit out. "He bought the house for _both_ of you to live in." She hissed, and grabbed her bag. "Boys, we're leaving. Jeffrey, you better disown that...that girl-" And they were gone.

And everything started to make sense in Millicent Bulstrode's world. Mil thought about what her Mother had said. Their Father was going to leave their Mother, as divorce was impossible in the wizarding world, they would only be seperated. He'd even bought a house just for him and his daughter. She must have found out about the property, about what he was going to do. She tried to keep from crying as she signed the paperwork. Her eyes lingered over what her Father had instructed for her to do with the storefront, provided everything was at peace when she came of age. She was to have their art collection open to the public- the first wizarding art gallery in the UK. It was actually a fantastic idea. Mil gathered her things together quietly, and looked to the Goblin who'd been watching her carefully.

"Thank you." She said quietly, and headed for the door.

"Miss Bulstrode..." The goblin called after her. Millie turned slightly, and the goblin gave her the slightest of bows. "A great disservice happened to your Father. Your Mother did not receive anything in the will because..." The goblin trailed off, unsure how to word this.

"I know." Millie said hollowly. "She killed my Father. She's somehow made the officials turn the other way."

The Goblin gave her an evil grin. "We...could...assist you, if you like. The late Lord Bulstrode was a valued customer. We could charge high interest rates on the Estate, and...perhaps increase maintenance fees and add withdrawal fees any time your Mother comes to the bank. With how much she spends...she could become a Pauper within the year, and our Bank will become all the richer."

Mil gave him the slightest of nods. "Thank you. What is your name, so I know to tell your supervisor about your hard work?"

"Griphook, Miss Bulstrode. I'm a friend of Lord Potter's."

Millie sighed, smiling slightly at this. "Thank you Griphook, for all that you have done, and all that you will do."

And she left, feeling a lot better than when she came in.

x-x-x

Harry stood on the platform in the middle of the Black lake, not liking this task already. Who thought it was a good idea to have a task in a freezing scottish lake in the middle of February? Even the black wetsuit he wore did not keep the cold at bay. The other champions stood beside him, their bathing suits in their school colors. He felt sorry for Fleur, who was wearing this skimpy thing that she obviously had not chosen herself.

Still, Harry was terribly worried about the task ahead. Dean was down there. He'd wondered who the judges would choose as his 'special person', and was rather surprised it wasn't Millie. Oh well. He was just glad she was safe. Of course, Dean was stuck down there, and Harry didn't want to lose him either. He was anxious to get on with it, but they had to wait.

Everyone dived into the water as soon as the cannon went off, and Harry shot off. He'd been training ever since he'd gotten the egg, understanding the clues pretty quickly. He was to retrieve something important, deep in the Merpeople's lair. And it had to be within the hour, or everyone would die. Harry hated this task with a vengeance.

Fleur looked like she was going to cry any moment- Gabrielle was down there, her little sister. Did he mention that he hated this task?

Severus taught him how to swim, using the enormous tub in the man's quarters. Harry was using a special sort of gillyweed, to help him along. It had been imported from Greece, and it was far less painful than standard gillyweed. He had a bit more stashed in his pocket. In one hand, he held his wand, and he kept his other hand free, in case he needed to go for his dagger. In addition to the gillyweed, he was now a champ at holding his breath under water. He and Severus had 'trained' quite a bit with that, having Harry hold his breath underwater. It helped that Harry's incentive was so they could experiment with breathplay, and/or learn how to suck cock under water. That part had been fun. This...was not.

He noticed Fleur was following him closely. She passed him quickly, and he realized the girl was a much better swimmer than he. He pushed forward, heading for the reeds. He'd mapped out the lake, and this was the shortest route there.

This area was infested with grindelows. Fleur screamed through her bubblehead charm, and the two of them valiantly tried to fight off the creatures. Harry managed to keep them at bay, but the girl was struggling. Harry got them off the blonde, tugging her towards the merpeople's camp. This wasn't just a competition for them- they needed to save their loved ones. Fuck the tournament.

He could feel Fleur still trembling as they swam, visible bruises all over her legs and arms. He'd should have realised- Veela's nature was fiery, and they did not do well in water, or against any water creatures. Dread filled Harry at this- he wondered how the merpeople would react to Fleur.

They finally arrived, seeing four people tethered by their ankles in an arch. Dean's dreadlocks were floating every which way in the water, and he was so still that Harry thought he was dead. With a start, Harry recognized Hermione. Why was she here? He also saw Cho bobbing silently next to her...and Gabrielle...she looked so pale and translucent. He and Fleur approached the group. He managed to get Dean tied free relatively quickly, and he turned to see Fleur getting cornered by some merpeople. The girl pointed to her sister frantically. Harry scowled, and made to go to the small girl.

At that point, Viktor arrived, making all of them duck for cover, as he looked a bit scary with a transfigured shark head. He grabbed Hermione's tether brusquely within his teeth, not even bothering to see what was going on. He swam off, dragging Hermione with him. Cedric arrived shortly afterwards, and by this time, Fleur was attacking the merpeople, and they were attacking back. Harry woke Dean with an ennerviate, stuffing a bit of Gillyweed in his mouth. His friend came to, and then saw what was happening. In a flash, he had his wand and his dagger out.

They both helped fend off the merpeople while Fleur got her sister. Harry went to Cho, and the merpeople thrust their spears at him. Obviously, he wasn't meant to get anyone else's person. Finally, Cedric arrived, and grabbed Cho, and the others followed him. Cedric was obviously a bit confused at why Dean was awake. Dean carried Gabrielle in his arms, while Harry helped Fleur swim to the surface. She was injured, Harry could see she had cuts and scrapes now, in addition to the bruises.

Harry could feel his gillyweed start to wear off as they approached the surface. Cedric and Cho surfaced first, climbing onto the platform. Dean and Gabrielle made it next, and Dean helped the confused and scared little girl onto the platform.

Fleur could see that Harry's gillyweed was running out, and the girl cast a quick bubblehead charm on him while the two of them limped together for the last few feet of water. They surfaced, and Dean and Cedric helped them onto the platform. Fleur grabbed her sister, sobbing, hugging her to her chest. The girls were hysterical. Hermione and Viktor came over, and they all sat on the platform, shivering and wet, glaring as a group at the Judges. The Judges were a bit put off by the glares, and went below, probably to talk to the merpeople.

They all got towels, and were drying off, when the Judges came to a decision. Viktor came in first place, for having surfaced first, and for avoiding injury. Then Harry made second place, for his 'group effort', Cedric made third place, and Fleur made fourth.

Harry was furious at this, and didn't care what people said when he spoke into the mike. "Fleur had a disadvantage! She had trouble with the grindelows and merpeople, and she was the one that cast the bubblehead charm on me at the end there, if anything, she should be the one in second place, not me..."

But the Judges were not swayed by this argument.

That evening, the four Champions and their 'special people' were gathered in the hospital wing, recovering from their near hypothermia. The whole group was pissed off- even Cedric and Viktor agreed that they were treating Fleur unfairly. Not only did they risk their own lives, but they risked the lives of others as well, including a little firstie that would be completely unable to defend herself against the grindelows and merpeople. They were just lucky that the girl hadn't had to fight them.

"While I am 'appy to 'ave met all of you, I can't wait to get away from this awful country." Fleur mumured, hugging Gabrielle to her chest.

"I don't blame you." Harry said, watching Dean pace back and forth. He did that a lot. "Dean, what's up?"

"Our ministry is full of bigots. We should kill them."

Harry laughed, while the others stared.

x-x-x

The press was in a tizzy for day afterwards- Champions helping each other in the tasks? It was unheard of! Many were saying the Fleur was weak, not only because she was a girl, but also because of her heritage. Harry quickly shut that down, after seeing Fleur's reaction to the papers. He did a small interview with Rita, explaining what went on down there. How were they supposed to know that their people weren't actually going to die? He sure to state that Fleur was certainly not weak, and that he knew plenty of girls who could hold their own in fight.

Rita, of course, spinned it her way, and talked about all the girls that Harry hung out with- rumors were now starting that Harry was building a harem, of all things. Whatever. The good thing about that was, there was a sharp increase in recruiting, mostly with girls. They added Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecomb, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lisa Turpin, Su Li- all from Ravenclaw. Then there was Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, all chasers on the Gryffindor team. Elanor Branstone, a firstie from Hufflepuff, and was quickly added to Rosie's and Astoria's group.

However, not all of their newest members were girls- Justin Finch Fletchly and Zacharias Smith joined too. But it was probably because Hannah and Susan were now dating them.

Harry quickly started preparing for the last task. All everyone knew was that it was a maze. After getting Hagrid drunk, Dean managed to find out the various creatures that were within the maze, and the four Champions trained like crazy so they would be prepared for whatever they faced. They were quiet, and determined, wanting to get this whole thing over with so that none of them got killed.

x-x-x

Fourth year will be wrapping up pretty soon. Prepare to have your minds blown. XD Please review.


	39. Chapter 39

Love In the Dark

* * *

Prepare to have your minds blown. That is all.

x-x-x

Millie and Hermione were alone together in the training room. It was the night before the third task, and everyone was rather nervous and tense. While everyone took the night off from training and studying to relax a bit, Mil and Hermione were dueling.

Dueling actually relaxed Millie, sort of in the same way that drawing or painting did. It was strange, but true. It just...relaxed her in a different way. While she drew, she was calm and let her mind wander about all sorts of things. During dueling, her mind turned completely off, just thinking about physical stuff. Especially when she dueled Hermione.

Mil's crush hadn't abated, even though she had gotten a bit of attention from those French hotties at the ball. While the girls were attractive, they didn't have Hermione's personality, or her brain. Mil grinned as she blocked a vicious looking hex, and then ducked as another whizzed over her. Hermione was in good form today- she took to the darker spells like a fish to water.

Hermione was a bit frustrated with everyone, as she thought that everyone should be prepared for the final day, but Mil guessed the girl couldn't see that people were starting to get burned out. Mil was looking forward to the holidays, for once. She was going to be living on her own, yeah, but it was certainly better than living with her Mother.

At the thought of her Mother, Mil sent a curse off, making Hermione crash into the wall. In a fluid movement, Mil grabbed her to keep from falling, pinning her there. Their eyes met, and Mil's brain turned off. She leant forward, lips smashing against the other girl's. Hermione groaned, wriggling against Mil's hold. Mil held on tightly to her wrists, wedging her leg in between Hermione's.

The two girls kissed fiercely, getting lost in the sensations. Hermione gasped for breath, turning her head away first, while Mil continued to kiss her neck, nipping at the skin. Mil ground her leg up against Hermione's groin, making the girl squirm.

"Mil..." Hermione panted, and Mil kissed her again, hands going to her brown curls. The two girls sank to the floor. Mil got on top of Hermione, kissing her roughly, hands sliding up and down the other girl's chest. She was touching Hermione's boobs! Oh Merlin, they felt so good!

Every nerve ending seemed to tingle with excitement, Mil yanked up Hermione's shirt from the waistband of her school skirt.

"Mil...no!" Hermione squirmed underneath her. She groaned as Mil groped her breasts roughly. Hermione started shaking her head, looking as though she was about to cry. Mil bit into her collarbone, leaving a mark there.

"Millie, please...stop...you're hurting me..." The girl whimpered. Millie didn't hear her, she was too far gone. Hermione reached up, and slapped the other girl in the face. Mil froze, eyes wide in shock.

Hermione pulled away from her, adjusting her shirt. Her eyes looked watery, her hair mussed, her lips looking raw and nearly bruised. "Millie...we can't do this." The girl said quietly. "We just...can't."

"But...why not?" Mil asked, feeling so frustrated. "Why can't we be together?"

"You're with Harry!" Hermione yelled, now crying. "If I'm going to be with someone, I want to be with them, and them only! I'd want everyone to know, I can't just...hide a relationship like it's some dirty secret! We can't do this, Mil. I like you, I'm attracted to you, but we can't! You're too rough for me."

Millie stared at Hermione, feeling her heart breaking. "Oh. I...I'm sorry." She whispered, voice trembling. "I...I didn't mean to hurt you...it just...happened..."

Hermione sniffled. "I know."

Millie looked down at her lap. "I never asked...do you even like girls?"

Hermione laughed now, sounding a bit hysterical. "You were the only one. I mean...I like boys too, but...you were the only girl."

Millie sighed roughly, running a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. If...if you don't want to be friends any more..."

"No." Hermione shook her head. "No, I want to stay friends. This...we can put this behind us. You'll find some amazing girl to be with, and...and, well, I'll find a girl or a boy too. I do like you, Mil, but... I just don't think we would work out. I want someone that's...gentle. Someone that will...take care of me."

"I...I can be those things too..." Millie whispered. "I really can."

Hermione shook her head. "So far, I haven't seen it. If...if you find a girl that's into that sort of thing...that's great. But...I'm just not that person. Okay?"

Mille nodded, and Hermione gave her a hug. "I am really sorry." Hermione whispered quietly.

x-x-x

Dean and Luna were on reconnaissance, not too far away from the Quidditch pitch, where the maze was set up. They were watching everything being put into place, high up on a hill. Well, Dean was watching the maze, while Luna was on her back, looking up at the stars above them. It was a nice night- it was warm, with a bit of a breeze. Dean wore his usual 'reconnaissance' outfit, which meant he was wearing all black, while Luna would probably stand out like a beacon in her pink dress.

She was barefoot as well, toes wiggling in the long blades of grass around them. "Dean?"

"Hmm?" Dean grunted, staring at the maze through his binoculars, watching a Blast Ended Skrewt being manhandled by Hagrid and some of the same guys that had been dealing with the dragons from the first task. Even from here, he could see Charlie's bright red hair.

"What is your favorite constellation?"

Dean frowned, lowering his binoculars as he looked at the blonde next to him. "What?"

"What is your favorite constellation? Mine is Leo."

"...Uh...dunno. I've never been good at Astronomy." His eyes trailed over Luna's body. He could tell she was a bit cold- she had goosebumps. His eyes lingered on her breasts- he could see her nipples standing out in the thin fabric. He loved that she was more of a naturalist...she never wore a bra. She really didn't need to, as she wasn't all that big in the boobs department. But Dean didn't care. Dean turned on his side, reaching over to brush a hand against her face.

Luna smiled at this, turning to face him. "Not watching anymore?" She murmured, eyes closing slowly as his fingers trailed down her neck.

"No...I think I've got better things to do." He whispered huskily.

Luna's smile widened at this. "Going to ravish me?" She sing-songed.

Dean smirked as his hand came to rest on one of her breasts. "Do you want me to?" He moved a bit closer, kissing those lips of hers.

"Well, as long as you don't cum inside me, we're okay."

Dean's eyes went round. He'd been joking- yeah, they'd snogged a bit and groped, but they hadn't even gone to third base yet.

"Um..." He glanced around. They were alone. No one would be coming up here. No one would see them. She obviously wanted more. But was he ready? Would he mess up? And...neither of them had protection. No...neither of them could afford a mess like that. Not with a war right around the corner. Someone had to be responsible here, and with the two of them, it usually ended up being him.

"Let's just see where we go, alright?" He murmured, leaning down to kiss her. Luna's thin arms wrapped around his shoulders, one hand beginning to play with his hair. She did this often, playing with his hair. It just brushed Dean's shoulders now. They kissed languidly, slowly rocking against each other. Dean settled in between Luna's legs, and he began to kiss her neck and shoulders while he groped her chest.

He loved that Luna was so free and open- even when everything went to shit, she never lost her calm. There were few times that she really let go, and it was always in situations like this. He slid his hand underneath her skirt, tugging it up. She squirmed, and began to pant. Her hips wriggled as he began to touch her through her knickers.

"I want to touch you too. It's only fair." Luna pouted, and Dean undid the front of his trousers, rolling onto his side. The two of them kissed heavily, touching and groping each other. Dean groaned as Luna didn't even bother touching him through his boxers- she just bypassed that, and touched his cock directly.

"Luna...you drive me mad." He whispered. Luna giggled, pecking his lips.

"Everyone's a little bit mad." She whispered back dreamily, stroking his cock now. He gasped, hips jerking at the sensation. He hooked his fingers, pushing her knickers aside, so his fingers could touch her.

She groaned and wriggled at his touch, and they kissed some more. He quickened the pace, feeling her clit get swollen- she was really wet. He was really, really tempted to take her. He slid his fingers inside her, making her gasp, and arch her back. He leant over her, yanking down the front of her sundress, baring her breasts to the windy air around them. He kissed and nipped at the skin there, making her shake and tremble.

"Dean..." She groaned, his fingers thrusting in and out of her. She was so far gone that her hand left his cock- she was clutching at the grass now, wriggling against his touches.

He made his way down to her groin, pulling her knickers down her thighs, getting a good look at her pussy for the first time. He leant in, kissing her thigh, and slowly made his way to her cunt. She clutched at his hair, fingers tightening in his dreadlocks as he tasted her. He thrust his fingers in and out of her slowly, sucking on her throbbing clit. She tasted good, really good. He loved it. Her legs shook as she came- he could feel her tightening around his fingers, and he wondered what it would feel like if she'd been tightening around his cock.

He was really, really tempted to find out. But...while he'd long lost his virginity years ago to fucking _Gary_, he wanted it to be special for Luna. She was young, a year younger than himself- she was only thirteen. Only a third year. They'd never should have gone this far- they'd only been going out for a few months. He knelt over her, watching her face carefully. She was grinning like crazy, a wide smile on her face. But that was Luna...she had him doing all sorts of things he'd never dreamed of. Chasing down threstrals. Searching for gnomes. Imagining what the world would be like if people had seven fingers instead of five. It was so...Luna. And he wanted to make her happy, he wanted to make sure that smile of hers never went away.

"That felt so good." She panted, reaching for him. He looked down as she palmed his erection.

"Luna..." She slid his length up and down her cunt. It felt so good...no! "We can't."

The girl stared at him with a dreamy smile. "Why not? You want to, I want to..."

Dean shook his head, pulling her hand away from him. "You're too young. Hell, I'm too young. We'll wait. Let's not get carried away. I don't want to mess this up."

Her eyes softened, and they shared a kiss. "Okay." She murmured as her lips parted from his. "I just wanted to make you feel good. Make you stop worrying about tomorrow. Everything that will happen...will happen." She reached up to stroke his cheek.

x-x-x

Harry stared at the robes he would be wearing the following day, feeling rather anxious. They were hanging up on the door of Severus' dresser. Hooked over the hanger was his belt, stocked full of gear from the twins and healing potions from Draco and the girls. His gun holster was also hooked over the hanger, as well as his holster for his dagger. He would have a few more daggers secreted away- one in his boot, another in his hair. He had to be prepared for anything. He knew Dean would be doing a bit of reconnaissance, and hopefully it would help him tomorrow. Severus came into the room, stopping short as he saw Harry sitting on his bed, naked.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now. You have a big day tomorrow."

Severus began to get undressed. Harry shook his head, bringing his knees up to his chest, hugging them. "Can't sleep. Too nervous. It can't just be a coincidence that the Dark Lord's ressurection ritual will be tomorrow too. Did you find out anything from Lucius?"

Severus dropped his trousers. "No. Not yet. Lucius said that he was to be meeting with a few of the others- we'll talk to him in the morning when everyone arrives." He stared at the boy on his bed, noting that Harry had lengthened his hair again. He glanced at the robes on the dresser.

"You're dressing up?"

Harry gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "Well, I figure if I'm going to die, I'll at least look good."

"Don't say that." Severus said, frowning. He sat on the bed, pulling Harry into his arms. "You'll not only survive, you'll win this damned tournament."

Harry made a face at this. "The others are pretty determined to win too. I know we've become friends and all, but...I just hope no one gets hurt tomorrow. You know when things go down...the others could possibly turn on each other."

"Well, with our plans, you shouldn't be in contact with any of them." Severus kissed Harry's neck. "Now, am I going to have to fuck you until you stop fretting?"

Harry grinned wanly at this, turning to straddle Severus. "I hope so. That would be fun."

Severus' hands slid down to grope Harry's bum. "Well, I don't want to tire you out too much...and you'll need to be in good shape for tomorrow, so...beating you with that new cane I got is out of the question..."

Harry shuddered at this, kissing Severus' neck. "Oh, you better use that thing on me after this stupid thing is over. It's a pretty cane."

Severus' grip tightened on Harry's bum. "Remember that, if you decide to do something stupid tomorrow. How am I supposed to beat you if you're dead?" He joked.

Their eyes met, and Severus reached up, running a hand through Harry's long hair. "Look, you'll do just fine."

Harry nodded, wriggling a bit in Severus' embrace, pushing down on the man's lap. They kissed, grinding against each other slowly. Harry reached down, palming his lover's erection, stroking him so that he would get hard.

"Want you." Harry breathed.

"And you'll have me, pet. Let's not rush things. We've got all night."

Harry groaned as Severus kissed up and down his neck, and used one of his hands to start preparing Harry. After some intense foreplay, Harry slowly sank down on Severus' cock. The man held his hips tightly, steadying him. Harry rocked his hips, slowly going up and down in the man's lap.

Harry looked down at his lover, smirking. "I kind of like it here, being on top."

"Don't get used to it." Severus panted, fingers tightening their hold on Harry's hips. His own hips jerked up, their bodies slapping against each other. Harry put his hands on Severus' chest, keeping himself upright as he rode Severus.

Their pace quickened. Harry was bouncing now, thighs shaking with exhertion. Severus' hips jerked up- they both cried out as Harry tightened around Severus' cock. One of his hands went to Harry's cock, sliding rapidly up and down the boy's length.

Harry's breathing sped up. "Fuck...fuck me Sir...oh god...I'm so close!" Harry cried out, arching his back.

Severus felt himself bottom out in the boy, and it became too much- he was cumming, filling him up. Harry mewed pitifully, thrusting into Severus' tightened hand. Harry groaned as he came, spilling his cum all over Severus' stomach and chest. He collapsed on top of his lover, narrowly missing the man's head as he fell foward. Harry laid on top of Severus, feeling achey, sated, and wonderful.

"Love you." Harry breathed, eyes closing. "Fuck, that was good. I love you so much."

Severus' breathing slowed, and he began to stroke Harry's hair. He kissed the top of his lover's head. "And I love you as well." Severus murmured quietly.

Harry turned his head, looking at Severus in surprise. It was the first time the man had said this. "Really?" Harry breathed.

Severus gave him a mute nod, looking as though he was a bit nervous. Harry kissed him hard, and laughed.

x-x-x

Meeting with the families for the third task

x-x-x

Harry and the other Champions entered the small room in which their 'families' were waiting in. Cedric was quickly greeted by his Mother and Father, and introduced to the others. Aton and Galina, as well as Viktor's Mother and Father, were there, a bit more reserved in showing their affection than the other families.

Fleur's Father insisted on shaking hands with both Harry and Dean, thanking them for helping his daughters. He was rather ordinary looking, with glasses and thinning brown hair. Her Mother was absolutely gorgeous- she looked like a model. All of the men had a hard time keeping her eyes off of her. Well, most of the men.

Harry had Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco waiting for him, but surprisingly, Millie and Dean were there as well. They had been allowed in by Dumbledore, as it was common knowledge that the two of them were practically considered family by Harry. Tonks was there as well in a 'official' capacity, but Harry was glad to have her support too.

Fudge and the rest of the Ministry people were there as well, but they were pretty much ignored. It was clear that the Champions did like them. After the whole mess with Crouch, they'd been skating on thin ice. Harry could see Lucius really, really wanted to talk to him about something, since he obviously had news. He could tell that Narcissa knew, whatever it was, she looked as though she was going to cry at any moment.

Lucius pulled Harry aside, and they turned in such a way that no one would be able to read their lips.

"The Cup is a portkey. Whoever grabs it will be transported to the ritual. The cup cannot be replaced, because the Dark Lord will know that I would have told. You must get that cup, Harry. If anyone else gets to it, they will be killed instantly. The Dark Lord is counting on you getting that cup."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "Where is the ritual going to be held?"

"In a Graveyard, in Little Hangleton. If we have people staking out the place now..."

"Your cover will be blown. He's testing you, right? Fuck. How many will be there tonight?"

"...All of the inner circle, the ones who were able to escape Azkaban."

"So...me against what, 25 Deatheaters?"

Lucius nodded gravely. "Yes. But..." He frowned. "The Dark Lord said that none of us were to attack you. That he wanted to talk to you, once he regained his body."

"Talk to me?" Harry asked with wide eyes. "Whatever for?"

Lucius looked grim. "I think...and Narcissa thinks...he aims to recruit you."

"Well...shit."

x-x-x

Harry stood on the Quidditch Pitch with the rest of the Champions, ignoring the speech that Fudge was saying. He gave a small smile to Fleur, and she gave him a wink back, her wand already out and ready.

He felt bad. He was going to have to get that cup by any means necessary. He just hoped the others would understand. He couldn't let them die. He glanced to Cedric and Viktor. The two boys looked very serious, and were ready to run.

And they were off with a bang, running into the maze. Harry made himself invisible with a quick dissallusion spell. It was an Auror-level spell, but no one would be able to see him anyways. He cast a 'point-me' spell, and followed his wand's path, eager to get to the cup first.

He faced off hinkypunks, cappa, and all sorts of creatures before he managed to get into his first snag- that damned Blast Ended Skrewt. Dean had warned him about this. Luckily, Hagrid had them taking care of these things in COMC. With a quick severing curse to it's underside, it was killed. Harry went on, and bumped into Cedric.

Cedric glanced about, a bit confused at the invisible force he'd bumped into. Harry hedged around him, and kept running. Cedric must have heard him, and was following him. Damn!

He then heard a shrill scream, and he headed towards that- it sounded like Fleur was in trouble. Another scream. He came around just in time to see her being attacked by an Acromantula. Harry beheaded the huge thing with a dark curse, helping her to stand.

" 'arry?" She asked.

"Oh...yeah. I'm invisible." Harry muttered. "You alright?"

"I am fine..." He barely heard the girl say, and he was off again. He ran into a boggart, screaming as he saw Severus dead on the ground- but then he realised what it was. "Riddikulus!" He roared, and his lover was dressed in Lady Longbottom's clothing. That was always good for a laugh. He went on quickly, trying to get that image out of his head. He tumbled over a body, and saw Viktor lying on the ground, injured somehow. He threw up red sparks, so that the boy could get some medical help. Harry ran on, and screamed as he ran into Fleur again!

" 'arry, you scared me!"

"Well, you scared me!" Harry yelped back. Then he saw it. The cup. Just down the path. The two of them raced towards the cup.

"Fleur, I can't let you get the cup!"

"I 'ave to 'arry, I can't let them think I am weak!" The girl screamed, and threw a hex his way. Harry dodged it, and shoved her against the bushes.

"I can't! Fleur, you just have to trust me- the cup is a portkey!" He yelled back, and the last thing he saw as he touched the cup was Fleur, staring at him with wide eyes. He vanished.

Fleur watched her invisble savior whisk away the cup, the thing she'd prepared so hard for. It had been a portkey? Why? How? She sank to her knees, dread filling her. She knew that Harry and his friends were planning something, doing something. That something was going on that they didn't tell everyone else about. What had just happened?

x-x-x

Harry landed hard on the ground, the breath getting knocked out of him. He was suddenly aware that he was surrounded- not only by Deatheaters, but by the Dark Magic that clung to the air. He heard someone absently make him visible with a murmur, and Harry rolled onto his side, pretending that he was more injured than he really was. He still had all of his gear in his belt- he hadn't had to use any of the twin's stuff, yet.

He then whipped his head around, making a show of being scared.

"What's...what's going on?" Harry cried, and two of the Deatheaters pulled him up to stand. God, all of this Dark magic was making him dizzy. It was so strong, it felt like it did when he and Severus were having sex.

He saw a huge bubbling cauldron, not too far away. He was dragged, kicking and screaming to it. Harry was nearly sick as he saw the Humunculous in Barty Crouch Jr.'s arms.

"Well, well, we meet properly at last." The Dark Lord whispered, his voice very faint and hissy. Harry stared at the deformed creature, feeling horrified and sickened at the sight of it. He didn't have to pretend he was scared now. He did a mental check. Two men were holding him. Ten were directly behind him, three to his left, five to his right, and two directly behind the Dark Lord and Barty. All 25 were accounted for, then. Good.

The cup was just behind him, off to the left. He would need to grab that at some point, if he could. And a Deatheater mask. Okay. He could do this, if they ever moved. At this point, he was completely surrounded, and he could feel the anti-apparition and anti- portkey wards. He'd have to run, no other way out.

"He's not so tough." One of the men grunted to his left.

"You'd be surprised." Another voice came, one that he recognized. Nott, that fucking bastard. Harry was definitely killing him tonight.

"He's tiny. He's smaller than my daughter." Another one called out, laughing. Harry scowled, making a show of wriggling in the men's grip.

The Dark Lord just stared at him. "Let's begin, shall we? Harry, my dear Harry, I have such plans for you. If you do as you are told, I will let you live. Can you do that for me?"

"...What do you want me to do?" Harry asked, his voice trembling. The others thought it was fear, but it was really anger.

A dagger was passed to him. His own dagger. The one that he'd lost at the world cup.

"I see you recognize it."

x-x-x

Voldemort looked away from Harry and began examining his own body. The ritual was complete, and Harry felt disgusted with himself. His palm was now bloody- at least they hadn't asked him to cut off his hand, like Barty had had to do. Said Deatheater was kneeling at his Master's feet. The other Deatheaters hadn't moved, keeping their wands on Harry.

From the mist, Voldemort's robe formed, clinging to his body. Voldemort stared, admiring his own physical form for the first time in years. His skin was deathly pale, mottled with blue and greyish tones, his head was bald. His hands were large, Harry noted, with sharp looking nails. His red eyes were slitted like a cat's, gleaming malevolently from that nightmarish scull.

He looked hideous, but his magic...his magic felt strong and powerful, and yet...twisted and tainted at the same time.

"My wand." The Dark Lord drawled, and one of his followers handed it over. Harry stared at it, memorizing it visually. Otherwise, the man was not armed. He wasn't stupid, though, even with all of his weapons, Harry figured he would be lucky to get out of this alive.

"Now..." The man smiled, sounding rather pleased. "Harry, Harry, Harry. Such a pretty thing you are. Took you long enough to get here. I've been watching you for some time now. Gentlemen, let our guest go."

The men who held his arms let go of Harry.

"Did you know, Harry, that I did not leave Hogwarts after your first year?"

Harry's eyes widened at this, and he inhaled sharply.

Voldemort laughed his reaction- a high and cruel laugh that reminded Harry of bad dreams from years ago.

"Oh yes... I stayed, and watched. I know all of your dirty little secrets Harry."

Harry swallowed thickly, trying to keep from panicking. No. He couldn't know.

"I find...that Dumbledore has underestimated you. You are a Slytherin, after all, so he was a bit suspicious, but...with the way you look and act in public...no one would never, ever suspect you of ever casting dark magic."

The Dark Lord reached forward, stroking his cheek with that sharp nail of his. "Oh yes...I can taste it, smell it on you." The thing inhaled through that ugly slitted nose of his. "Such a naughty boy."

Harry let him keep talking. The more he talked, the more he could find out what exactly Voldemort knew.

"You _and_ your friends." The man said, turning away from Harry, circling him. "You've been teaching them. Even that little muggleborn friend of yours was sighted in Knockturne back in your first year! Such a good influence, aren't you, dear Harry?"

"What do you want?" Harry asked quietly. "I'm just a kid. I'm not even of age, yet."

Voldemort laughed again, and his followers followed.

"Oh Harry, you can't fool me. After all, you were emancipated, you have complete access to your Estate. Of course, I haven't heard about you spending rididulous amounts of money on anything but clothes, but I'm just going to assume that you still have a great deal of money left."

He stepped behind Harry, clasping his shoulder lightly. "You see, Harry, I would like to recruit you. Not just you, but also your little friends that you've taught. I'm sure you're well aware of the bigotry and hatred that the Light aims at us, of all the accusing stares, of all the sweet lies they tell us. Aren't you?"

"...Yes sir." Harry murmured.

"And I know that you've never really been a fan of Dumbledore- after all, he couldn't protect you as a child, he couldn't protect you at Hogwarts...tell me, what happened with dear Professor Lockhart? I never did find out, but there were certainly rumors that you and he had an altercation..." Harry tensed at this. He could feel Voldemort whispering in his ear. Voldemort didn't know. He couldn't.

"I can protect you Harry, better than Dumbledore ever could. I could teach you all that I know about the Dark. You could become powerful, strong, leading your friends onto our Great Path."

Harry closed his eyes, trying to keep his breathing calm. "I think you're overestimating my abilities." Harry murmured quietly. "I'm not that great of a duelist. I lose against Dean and Draco all the time."

The man was quiet for a moment. "Hmm...well, if you cannot lend your wand to our cause, we are always in need of recruiters, and of people to fund us. However..." A hand stroked his hair. "I know a fair few of my men are rather taken with your appearance. Nott tells me he even managed to kiss you, back in your first year. Did you like it, Harry?"

Harry swallowed thickly, shifting on his feet.

"While Miss Bulstrode, I'm sure, has her talents, nothing can compare to the power we could offer. You look scared, Harry. Nervous? Don't tell me you're still a virgin?"

Harry inhaled sharply as the man's hand stroked his back lightly. "I...I..." His stutter was real.

"Well, we'd like entertainment either way. You can either let my followers teach you what they know about sex, and the power it can bring you...or...you duel."

"Who would I duel, sir?" Harry asked quietly, making sure to sound subservient enough. If he got caught in a deatheater gangbang, he would never, ever manage to get away, unless they let him. Duel it was, then.

"Hmm...anyone care to make an offer?"

"I would, my Lord." Nott spoke instantly. "That little bitch has it-"

"Crucio!" Voldemort cried, making the man scream. Harry flinched at the sound- it was horrible.

"Now, now, don't say such things about our guest."

Harry watched Voldemort circle again, and come to a stop in front of one. He looked straight into Harry's face.

"Lucius. You will duel Harry."

Harry made a show of being shocked as his adopted Father stepped forth.

"Yes, my Lord." Lucius stated, and bowed. Voldemort took off his mask, revealing the man's pale face and hair.

The circle around them widened, allowing them room. He kept his arms at his sides, watching Lucius draw his wand.

"Harry, draw your wand. Don't you want to duel your Father?"

Harry shuddered. "Father...how...I didn't..."

"Oh! You didn't know, Harry? You must have hidden your allegiance very well, Lucius."

"I had to, my Lord. Dumbledore would have never allowed me to adopt the boy, otherwise."

"Excellent thinking, Lucius. And did you train your son in the fine art of dueling?"

Lucius hesitated. "I taught him the basics. He never took to it like Draco did."

"Well, then, I suppose you can teach him now. Draw your wand, Harry."

Harry drew his wand, and got into position. He made sure to look like he was out of practice and clumsy. He needed to make broad movements, to get the circle wider. There was a weak spot in the circle, to the right. He could see the lights of a tiny village over there in the distance. He'd just have to make his way there.

"Begin." Voldemort called out.

Lucius immediately called out a hex, and Harry blocked it. They began their duel, and Harry made sure to make visible mistakes. The others called out to both him and Lucius, offering 'tips'. Harry followed clumsily, slowly making his way to the right side of the circle. He just reached the gap, when he flicked his wrist, summoning the cup in his hand, grabbed the nearest Deatheater, grabbed his mask, and booked it. He streaked down the grounds, Deatheaters on his heels. He heard their screams and yells as he blasted hexes and curses over his shoulder, throwing the twin's prank gear behind him. Something exploded behind him, making him fall to his feet.

He scrambled up, and someone yanked at the back of his robes. Nott. Fucking Nott. He clunked the man over the head with the triwizard trophy, and then quickly stabbed him in the gut with his poisoned dagger. As the man fell to his knees, Harry sliced his throat open. The others slowed down in shock, watching the man die before their eyes. Harry continued to run, dodging hexes and curses left and right, as soon as they regained their senses.

"I will kill you, Harry Potter! That was a one time offer!" He heard Voldemort scream. "I will turn everyone against you! All of your friends will either be at my side, or dead! You will have NO ONE!"

He just made it to the outskirts of the little village, seeing the curious townspeople stepping out of their homes. He thrust his wand in the air as soon as he reached the street. The Knight Bus arrived, and he scrambled on. "Hit it, Ernie, I've got Deatheaters after me." Harry breathed.

The bus screeched away, tires squealing.

x-x-x

Voldemort strode to Lucius, terrifyingly angry. "CRUCIO!" He roared.

The blonde fell to his knees, screaming.

"You told me he was a weak dueler! That he was untrained! What. Was. That!"

"I don't know, my Lord." Lucius panted, kneeling before his Lord. "Dumbledore must have trained him in secret! I had no idea! Dumbledore must have told him to pretend that he was weak!"

Voldemort let loose every expletive he knew, and there were crucios all around.

"And someone dispose of Nott's body!" The Dark Lord roared, striding to his house, grumbling under his breath.

He had severely underestimated that little brat. He slammed the door as he entered the old Riddle Manor, scowling. He stopped short as he saw his reflection in the mirror. Well...at least he had his body.

x-x-x

Whew. The war has now officially started.

So...that played out quite differently than cannon, no? So...yeah, Voldemort tried to recruit Harry, and he is aware that Harry practices dark magic. The whole thing about him teaching his friends dark magic is speculation, so Voldemort really is in the dark about his friend's abilities. Well, he's still unaware of all of Harry's abilities as well. Of course, Harry isn't being trained by Dumbledore, hell, he's not even on Dumbledore's side, so Voldemort has NO IDEA that Harry has his own side to this war. Now, Lucius will have his part to play, and so will Harry... sigh.

You guys like the chapter? It was longer than usual, and lots of stuff went down. For those of you who are sad about Hermione/Mil not working out, don't fret. They will be with other people eventually, and it will be even better (for both of them). I hope you guys like the bit of Luna/Dean action, and of course, the Harry/Sev action too. :3

Please review. Tell me what you think everyone's reactions will be when they hear what happened. XD


	40. Chapter 40

Love In the Dark

* * *

Glad you guys liked the last chapter. A lot happened, so...yeah. Here's the aftermath. Oh, btw, my Mom's feeling better, for those of you who asked. While she can't get up and about like she's supposed to, she's sounding better on the phone. She's in another state, so I can only go by what she says, and what my Grandmother says. Honestly, I think they lie sometimes just to make me and my brother worry less. :P

x-x-x

Harry threw up in a bucket. The Knight Bus was actually rather busy that night, so there were quite a few people there that were anxious to hear Harry's story.

"Wha' happened?" Stan asked, clutching to the railing. They were heading for Hogsmeade, full speed, so Harry could get back to Hogwarts.

"The Tournament was tonight." Harry croaked, and an elderly witch vanished the mess in the bucket. Stan hung the bucket back up- it was used a lot on the bus, as people often got motion sickness.

"I got the trophy...it was a portkey. I was portkeyed...deatheaters...everywhere." Harry whispered, and all the people around him paled.

"Merlin, what happened?"

"Voldemort...was there. There was a ritual...they tried to kill me."

Everyone gasped at this, looking terribly frightened. "But...but, he's dead!" Someone screamed.

Harry shook his head. "No...he's not. He's alive. He has a body now." Harry gasped. "I just barely managed to get away." He held up the Deatheater mask, and the trophy. "See? I've got one of their masks here."

"Cor...you're really tellin' the truth." Someone whispered, and the bus was deadly silent.

"Who's Voldemort?" A little boy asked, and everyone flinched.

His Mother pulled him aside, and started to explain to him quietly that that was another name for You-Know-Who. Harry saw people begin to cry, and quiet stories were shared- someone had known someone else, whose Brother was murdered. Someone's Father had disappeared. And on it went. It was then that Harry realized why so many people were scared of Voldemort- everyone in the English community had been affected by the last war deeply.

"What's going to happen now? Are the attacks..." An elderly man hesitated.

"Probably." Harry said quietly. "Look...now that all of you know...get out of the country if you can. If you can't, make sure you're protected. I don't know when the attacks will start happening, but..."

'You don't have to tell us, laddie." The bus screeched to a stop as they arrived to the Three Broomsticks.

"Thanks Stan...what do I owe you?" Harry said to Stan, getting off the bus.

"Not a knut, kid. Everyone, to the three broomsticks!" The man called out, and the people got off the bus. Harry borrowed a broom from Rosmerta, while the people who'd listened to his story on the bus went about telling everyone else in the pub. At this rate, everyone would know what happened by the end of the night. Good. Let's just hope the press would listen too.

Harry flew to Hogwarts, and touched down on the Quidditch pitch. People were obviously worried about him- people scrambled towards him as he collapsed on the ground, completely exhausted.

x-x-x

The first thing Harry heard when he awoke in the hospital wing was arguing. He opened his eyes slowly, and saw Mil hovering over him. The girl gave him a tearful smile, brushing his bangs back.

"Hey." He murmured.

"Hi there." She whispered back. "How are you feeling?"

"...Terrible." The arguing stopped, and everyone stared at Harry on the bed. Millie helped him sit up. The hospital wing was packed full of people. His fellow Champions were all sitting together on the bed next to his, bandaged up from various injuries. Fleur was clutching her sister in her lap, and she looked as though she'd been crying. Dumbledore was standing at the foot of his bed, along with Moody, Tonks, Sirius, Remus, and a whole mess of other people.

He smiled wanly as he saw Dean sitting on the bed next to him, with Hermione and Luna.

"Harry, when Fleur told us that you'd been portkeyed away, we were so worried- are you alright?" Hermione asked first, before anyone else could speak.

Harry glanced down, and saw that he was still dressed in his black robes. He hoped that no one had found his weapons yet. He spotted Madam Pomfrey bustling her way through.

She sighed, scanning him quickly with a few spells. "Physically, he's in good shape. A small injury on his hand, a few scrapes...that is all. Mr. Potter?"

"Just...sore." Harry said quietly, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw Severus sneak his way to the front of the crowd. Their eyes met, and the man gave him the smallest of smiles, clearly looking relieved.

"Mr. Potter, could you please tell us what happened?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry began to weave his tell, completely lying about Voldemort wanting to recruit him. Instead, he said that he'd been knocked out at some point, and he came to as Voldemort rose out of his cauldron. They had a short duel, and Harry managed to escape.

"It is as I feared." Dumbledore said quietly, and Harry could see everyone go still. "Voldemort has returned."

Very dramatic, Headmaster.

Dumbledore turned to Moody. "Start gathering the old crowd, Alastor."

Moody nodded firmly at this, and Tonks spoke up, standing just behind her teacher. "The old crowd?"

Moody motioned for her to follow him. Harry caught the girl's eye, and she offered him a weak smile. The two of them left. Harry glanced over to see a huge moneybag on his bedside table. Dean saw him looking. "Fudge came by while you were unconscious. That's your prize money."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't want it."

"Well, you _did_ win." Fleur stated quietly. "You got to the cup before the rest of us."

The two of them shared a look. "I'm sorry Fleur."

The girl shook her head. "Don't be. You saved my life. Again." She said tearfully.

"He has a habit of doing that." Dean said, grinning.

Harry shook his head. "Can you guys tell the others what happened? I'll update you later." His friends left. Hermione looked as though she had wanted to stay, though.

Gabrielle quickly took Millie's spot on the bed, and hugged Harry tightly. "Thank you for saving my sister, 'arry!"

Harry ruffled her blonde hair, watching Dumbledore send off the other staff members with murmured instructions. The war was truly happening now. Lines were being cast, but Harry's were still somewhat blurred. Just how they'd wanted it. Then Dumbledore approached Severus, and Gabrielle wriggled away from Harry, as his grip had tightened a bit.

"Severus...you know what you must do." Dumbledore murmured quietly.

Severus looked to Harry. That fleeting look had Harry getting out of bed, making the others motion for him to sit down.

"No. He can't." Harry blurted, going to Severus' side.

Dumbledore looked at Harry, furrowing his brow. Harry turned to Severus. The man took a deep breath.

"Headmaster...I don't think it would be a good idea. After all, the Dark Lord did not call me. He knows that I was a spy- there are records of it." Severus stated, keeping his voice even.

"But you can convince him." Dumbledore hedged. Harry slid his hand into Severus, almost unnoticed by all, however Fleur had a look of 'aha!' on her face.  
"Tell him that pretending to be my spy gained my favor, and-"

"No, Albus." Severus said, his voice firm. Many looked surprised at this. After all, how many people said no to Albus Dumbledore?

"Perhaps we shall talk about this later." The Headmaster murmured, and turned to Sirius and Remus. "Sirius, Remus, could I ask for some assistance from you?"

Severus winced at this, and Harry's grip on his hand tightened. Harry knew that the man would be bothered by this. Their eyes met, and Harry gave him a worried smile. Severus let go of his hand, and left the room. Harry watched him go, and turned back. Fleur caught his eye, and arched a brow, looking knowingly at him.

Harry quickly turned away, sitting on his bed again.

He vaguely heard plans of Sirius' house being used for something, and that Remus would be sent off to...network as soon as possible. Funny, Remus had already been doing that for months now.

Everyone began to go their separate ways, so only Fleur remained sitting on the bed next to him. Even her little sister had been taken away by their parents. When Dumbledore left with Madam Pomfrey, Fleur moved carefully to Harry's bed.

"...'arry...I wanted to thank you again. Who knows what those Deatheaters would 'ave done to me." She whispered. "...'ow did you know that it was a portkey?"

Harry sighed. Thank goodness no one else had asked that question.

"I...had received a tip. Earlier today. No, I can't tell you from who. But... I knew I couldn't let any of you guys get to the cup. While I know all of you are strong duelists, I...at least I knew what to be ready for. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you." He motioned to the money. "You have it. I wasn't even supposed to be in this damned contest."

The girl's eyes softened. "No. I 'ave more than enough money. I wasn't in it for the money, Harry. Surely you know what it is like, 'aving everyone think you are weak, no?"

"Yes."

Fleur reached forward, holding his hand. "But we are not. We are strong. You are strong, Harry, brave. Braver than I ever could be." She leant forward, kissing his cheek. "Thank you."

Harry squeezed her hand. "So...guess you guys will be leaving pretty soon. I imagine you really, really want to get out of England now."

Fleur gave him a playful look. "Oh no, I'm not letting you get rid of me that easily!" She shook her head. "No, I think I am staying. 'elping Dumbledore, no?"

She looked at his face carefully. "Then again...why 'elp Dumbledore, when I could 'elp you? What do you need me to do, 'arry?"

Harry stared at the beautiful young woman for a long moment. "Get some rest. Go hug your sister, talk to your parents. If you're serious about staying here, think about what you are risking." Harry murmured. "If you still want to risk it, talk to me."

She gave him the slightest of nods, and her solemn look was replaced with a coy one. "You and your Professor, it is serious, no?"

Harry flushed hotly. "You!" He smacked her arm playfully. "I don't know what you're talking about. And look who's talking, I saw you making eyes at Bill earlier, before the task."

"Bill? That is his name?" The woman smiled.

"Bill Weasley. You saw him tonight with his Mum, Dad, and Charlie, right?"

"Yes...he works with Gringott's, no? Dumbledore asked him to talk to the Goblins?"

Harry nodded slowly, and the girl gave him a flirtatious grin. "Fantastique!"

"What?"

"I am very knowledgeable in Gobbledegook. I will talk to Bill and see if he is needing my assistance, no?"

"Only you would try to hook up with a guy when there's a war going on." Harry murmured.

Fleur sighed. " 'arry, you 'ave a lot to learn about the amour. It goes on, no matter what."

x-x-x

The following day, Harry just managed to get out of the hospital wing in time for the AKDA meeting that had been called. Gathered around were their Founding members, the ones who'd taken the oath, and the others who had just joined them that year, and had not taken the oath yet.

Fleur, Viktor, and Cedric stood off the to the side, showing their solidarity. Millie and Dean stood on either side of Harry while he quietly told his story to the AKDA. The whole story.

Hermione was the first to speak. "So...Voldemort tried to recruit you?" She asked, sounding scared.

"Yes." Harry murmured. "Obviously, I turned him down. Now, I am going to need an oath from everyone here, who hasn't already sworn an oath. Mil and Dean will lead."

Harry watched the new members trying to figure out what to do. In the end, every single one of them took the oath. Harry watched in silence, knowing that all of these people were putting their lives on the line here. It was scary. Intimidating. But...it was needed.

"Thank you." Harry stated quietly. He looked to Dean to begin.

The meeting went relatively smoothly. Dean and Mil did most of the talking, although there were a few interruptions. Mil was going to raise wards on her property, to make it into a safe house for those who needed a place to stay. Hermione was in charge of figuring out a way so that all the muggleborns could contact each other in case of emergency. Draco told them about the stock of potions that he and the healing team had been making all year, and would give everyone a small kit before they left for the holidays, in case of emergencies. Fleur said that she had decided to stay, and she offered to help Mil with the wards, in exchange for a safe place to stay until she found her own place.

Everyone would be expected to keep up with their training over the holidays, and talk to their families about what had happened- not Harry being recruited, but Voldemort returning. They were also to keep contact with each other, but only light conversation, as they could be monitored. Viktor would be returning to Bulgaria with his family, but he would talk to his Aunt and Uncle about what they could do to help.

Harry told everyone that his letters would definitely be monitored, as he would be under heavy supervision by Dumbledore. They would not be able to contact him. As the meeting wore on, everyone decided on what tasks they would be taking on, so they could prepare for the following term.

As everyone was leaving, Cedric approached Harry quietly. "My Mum and Dad were part of the Order in the last war. I will undoubtedly see you this summer, then?"

Harry gave him a small smile. "Dean and the Weasleys will be around too. Millie as well. Hell, even Luna might be around."

Luna spoke up dreamily from the doorway. "Oh yes, I will definitely be spending time with Dean." The surrounding girls giggled at this, and Dean looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Well then...um, are any of you actually going to be a part of the Order? Dad said he was going to ask if I could join, but..."

Harry shook his head. "Twins already asked."

Fred spoke up. "We're not allowed."

"Too young." George finished. "No one that's still a student is allowed to join."

Cedric made a face. "Well, we'll still be at the house, right Harry? Maybe we can sneak in?" He asked, looking a bit mischievous.

Fred smacked him on the shoulder. "We've corrupted you!"

"Unlikely, with Moody around." Ginny muttered. "Come on, we should get going before Ron notices we're gone..." She paused, and looked to Harry. "Harry..."

Harry sighed. "Ron. Damn. He will be there too, won't he?"

"Yeah. Damn. He has a big mouth, though, we can't..." Ginny looked somewhat distressed.

"We'll see."

x-x-x

Harry sat in a private room, with Millie at his side. Rita Skeeter sat across from them. Dumbledore had allowed her in the castle to interview Harry, and Harry alone. He'd tried to wriggle his way into the interview, but Rita just wanted to talk to Harry.

"I understand it was a very traumatizing experience." The woman said softly. She actually looked concerned for once. Mil reached over to hold Harry's hand. The camera guy was taking pictures in the corner, of course, but he was trying to be unobtrusive as possible.

"Yes. I understand Fudge hasn't talked to the papers about this. Why?"

The woman licked her painted lips, quill pausing over her notepad. "Well...he is concerned that...your story may not be true. Yes, you have evidence...but...according to him, it could have been fabricated."

"I wouldn't lie about this. People's lives are at stake, Rita."

"I know darling." Rita leant forward. "It's just...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was a very dangerous man- no one would ever really want him to return." She paused, and her quill picked up again. "So...what are your plans now?"

Harry looked down at his and Mil's hands. "Well, I'm planning on moving to a safe house. I...will not be staying with the Malfoys this summer. I've been Emancipated, so I will be able to have a place of my own. I won't be alone of course, my friends will be there."

Rita glanced at Mil, and her quill quickened a bit. "I assume your girlfriend will be among them?"

Millie shook her head. "Actually, no. I have my own place, but I'll be around. I inherited it after my Father died."

"...So...any advice to the wizarding world?"

Harry nodded firmly. "Raise wards. Learn all you can about defending yourself. If you want to leave the country, do it now, while you can. Muggleborns, make sure to have a way to contact your friends in the wizarding world, in case of trouble. That's all I have for now."

"Do you think Dumbledore will be able to keep Hogwarts protected next year? After all, you were portkeyed away from the school grounds- however did the portkey get there in the first place?"

Harry knew how, but he wasn't telling. After all, he didn't want Lucius to get into any more trouble than he already was in. "Dumbledore is doing the best that he can. I know he increased the protections around the school this year for the tournament, but everyone can make a mistake." He internally winced at this, knowing how this could be misconstrued. Shit!

Rita smiled widely at this. "Well then." With a little flourish of her quill, she looked as though she was finished.

Harry spoke up quickly. "I do want the Ministry and the ICW to take this very seriously- Voldemort has returned, and he will come after us. It's only a matter of time before the attacks start, or people start disappearing."

x-x-x

Harry had only been in Grimmauld place a couple of times before, and it had always been limited to the kitchen. It had definitely been cleaned up in the time that Sirius and Remus had lived there. He wondered if the two men had known what they were doing, opening their home up to the Order.

Harry set his trunk down. The Weasleys were banging up the stairs now, and were being terribly loud. Harry gave Sirius a weak smile.

"You two going to be alright?"

Sirius gave him a firm nod. "Yeah. This place needed more people anyways. It was getting a bit boring." He made to wrap his arm around Remus' shoulders, but pulled away just as Mrs. Weasley came around the corner from the kitchen. Both Remus and Sirius pasted smiles on their faces.

"Sirius dear, where do you keep your cooking utensils?"

"My what?" Sirius said, confused.

Remus chuckled. "Neither of us are much for cooking, Molly. We normally eat out, or get take out."

The woman sighed, and walked off, grumbling under her breath. She'd probably bring another box, then. Dean clapped Harry on the shoulder.

"Well then, which room do you lot what me in?" Dean asked.

"Well, we prepared the two bedrooms down the hall from ours, on the fourth floor. They have your names on them." Remus said with a smile. "Those will be your rooms, as long as you want them."

Dean smiled slightly at this. "Thanks."

"No problem. It's always good to have another Gryff around. I did it up special, Dean, hope you like it!" Sirius called after him as Dean went up the stairs with his trunk. Harry's smile faded at this. He always knew that Sirius liked Dean a great deal more than Harry, but it hurt sometimes.

Harry went up the stairs as well, and Sirius and Remus followed. Harry finally arrived to his room, stopping short in the doorway. It was actually...rather nice. The furniture was all a dark oak color, with a white and pale green quilt, and light green walls. It was rather plain, but nice. He set his trunk down at the foot of his bed, noting the bookshelves were fully stocked, and the dressing table was rather nice looking.

"This...um...used to be my brother's room." Sirius said, voice faltering. "We...well, we thought you would like it. It...um, it would suit you more than my old room."

"I like it. It's lovely." Harry said softly, looking at the engraving around the mirror of the dressing table. Constellations. It was...so different than his old room in Malfoy manor. Suddenly, he missed it. He missed Narcissa and the gardens, he missed Lucius and his perverted study, hell he even missed Draco and his snarky comments. And he wouldn't see any them for quite some time.

"Well...I suppose I should unpack." Harry murmured.

"Would you like any help?" Remus asked.

Harry gave a slight shake of his head, and flicked his wand at his trunk. The trunk opened, and everything began to float out, and put themselves away.

"Ah...I would suggest not doing that around the others...Molly has a strict policy about no magic for the kids, apparently." Remus stated quietly. Harry rolled his eyes at this, and he carefully started putting his perfumes and things on the dressing table by hand.

"Seriously? Well, if she thinks Dean and I are going to play by her rules, she's got another thing coming." Harry muttered, and took out his brush and comb set. Sirius gasped as he saw it.

"Where did you get that?"

Harry looked down at the set. "...Lucius and Narcissa gave it to me. The first Yule that I spent with them."

"...Oh." Sirius said quietly, looking pained.

Harry glanced their way. "I...I know you regret not being there for me. But...it wasn't your fault. You know that, I know that. I will never blame you." He set his hand mirror down carefully with a click. "I blame Dumbledore." He said idly.

"...The books...if you want others, we have some hidden away in the attic. Most of the books in the library are all...uh, ones you've probably read." Remus murmured. "We don't have to tell you no dark magic in the house, right?"

"I don't see why not. This place is filled with it." Harry murmured. Sirius flinched at this, Harry ignored it. "You can't disguise it with a bit of paint and polish. I'm sorry Sirius, but I'm not going to lie to you. You can pretend otherwise, but I am a Dark Wizard. Nothing will change that."

Sirius couldn't answer this. "I...our room is down the hallway."

"Do you have separate beds now, now that everyone will be here?"

Their silence answered. Harry sighed, shaking his head. "Hopefully, you two will be able to get some privacy. I hope I'll be able to get some privacy as well. Will Dean be able to get away for his missions?"

"We'll make it work somehow." Remus said worriedly.

"I sure hope so."

"When will the first meeting be?" Harry asked, going to his trunk. He pulled out his fancy cloak, the one he'd worn to the Ball, idly wondering when he'd ever wear it again.

"Tonight, actually. At 7pm. We'll be inducting a few new members."

Harry stared at the two men for a moment. "I won't be among them, will I?"

Sirius growled, frustrated. "No." He bit out. "We tried to convince Dumbledore, but..."

"He thinks I'm too young." Harry said calmly. "Well, I will make an appearance anyways. If I'm kicked out, I hope you two will be able to update me?"

"Of course." Remus said with an easy smile. He took Sirius by the arm. "We'll leave you to unpack. We'll see you in a bit. Just call if you have any questions."

Harry continued his unpacking, preparing himself for a long summer. How in the hell was he going to train?

x-x-x

Harry went to Dean's room just before everyone started arriving for the meeting. Apparently the twins and Ginny had the same idea, as they were all hanging out in Dean's room. Harry looked about the garish gold and red walls, making a face.

Dean laughed. "Knew you wouldn't like it. Used to be Sirius' room- girly posters and all."

"Ugh. Where's Ron?"

"Bugging Mum." Ginny said, making a face. "She's making dinner downstairs. We should probably start heading down soon."

"So...what are we going to do about Ron? If we keep disappearing on him, he's going to notice." Fred pointed out.

"We can't just...not tell him." Ginny stated with a frown.

"You know how he feels about..." George motioned vaguely to Harry.

Harry sighed. "Look, if he acts...decent this summer, we'll think about him joining. Maybe this whole thing will make him mature a bit, make him realize things are more important that house rivalries. Alright?"

Harry and Dean followed the Weasleys down the stairs. Harry tugged at Dean's leather jacket. "Going for the bad boy look?"

Dean gave him a rougish grin. "Eh, why not? The girls go crazy for it."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"And you, Mr. Posh, looking dapper. Trying to impress someone?" Dean muttered.

Harry grinned. "Perhaps." Harry was wearing a rather nice looking cream colored long sleeved blouse, and grey wool trousers. The shirt was nice and flowy, with a oversized bow tie that fell down the smocked front. It was a Calvin Klein, bought from the muggle world. Harry's hair was left unbraided, and it flowed silkily down his back. It was definitely a soft look, something that he was counting on making people underestimate him. He didn't want to intimidate, that was for certain.

He stopped short as he saw Severus enter the foyer, following just after a few other people. Severus looked up, and their gazes met. Oh yeah, this was going to be a long summer. When was the last time they'd been together? Harry looked at the man longingly- he could see Severus swallow visibly. Harry walked down the stairs casually, ignoring all the other strangers in the foyer.

"Professor." Harry murmured, greeting the man, looking down demurely.

"Mr. Potter." Severus murmured back.

Dean cleared his throat. "Hello Professor, didn't expect to see you here!" He said breezily. "You here for dinner?"

"Well..." He glanced at Harry. "Yes, if that's alright." He said, glancing at Sirius, who was looking pale and/or green.

"Uh...sure."

Sirius motioned to Harry. "Everyone, we'll do introductions in the kitchen, once everyone gets here, alright?"

The crowd moved as one into the kitchen. Harry brushed shoulders with Severus slightly, loving just the barest of touches made him aware of how much he'd missed his touch, and the feel of the man's magic.

Everyone crowded into the kitchen. Harry could tell that the table had been expanded, and he smiled to himself as Sirius motioned for Harry to sit next to him, pointedly away from Severus. Harry then noted how his friends ended up sitting together at one end of the table. Tonks joined them quickly, greeting Harry with a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"How does Potter know Auror Tonks?" He heard a man murmur.

Tonks spoke up, wrapping her arm Harry's shoulders with a grin. "I met him when he was just a little firstie, taught him everything I know!" She said cheerfully. At Moody's Look, the girl backtracked. "Well...not everything. I mean, he was just a firstie. But I did give him a few pointers."

"Which he taught to us!" Fred said with a grin. Harry shot Fred a quick look, and his friends went a bit quiet. Harry sighed, and sat down. Tonks sat on their side of the table, while Moody watched them closely.

Fleur arrived with Bill, and the two of them looked rather cozy together. Fleur greeted Harry similarly to how Tonks did, with a hug and a kiss, and the two of them sat on their side of the table as well. Bill looked as though he was wondering how close Harry and Fleur actually were- after all, the rumors about them the previous year said that they'd had a thing.

Dumbledore finally arrived, with McGonagall and the Diggories in tow. Cedric quietly took his place by his Father, smiling warmly at Harry.

Dumbledore stood at the Head of the table, smiling at the gathered crowd. "Thank you all, for coming tonight. Molly, dinner looks delicious!"

Everyone began to eat, and Harry kept to himself mostly, watching everyone interact. He learnt very quickly who had been a member previously in the Order, and who was new to the group. The group mostly consisted of Aurors and Ministry workers, although there were a few healers. There was one or two people who worked in shops, like Florean, Madam Rosmerta, and Tom, from the Leaky Cauldron. Mudungus Fletcher was the most dubious looking person there, and he smelled like a bar. A bad one.

Harry sighed, knowing this group didn't have nearly enough diversification. Most of the group consisted of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff alumni, with a few Ravenclaws thrown in. As far as he knew, only himself and Severus were the only Slytherins. He pushed his food about his plate, and Mrs. Weasley spoke up.

"Harry dear, are you not hungry?" Harry glanced up at the woman, shaking his head. He wiped his mouth with his napkin politely, setting it down on the table.

"Oh no, Mrs. Weasley, I'm quite full." People began to quiet at this, looking towards Harry. They obviously wanted to get to know him better.

"So...Harry, if I may call you that..." The man who sat across from him spoke. He had been relatively quiet as well, watching the others. He was a very tall black man, who wore deep purple robes. Harry got the impression he didn't associate much with the others, but he thought he may have been an Auror. "Albus told us how you managed to escape from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers...how many were there that night?"

"Twenty five." Harry said quietly, staring the man down. The man leant forward, staring at him carefully.

"Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt, Senior Auror." He extended his hand across the table. Harry did the same, and shook the man's hand. Harry could feel the man's large fingers slide over his own fingers casually. "You're pretty good with a wand, then?"

"I suppose so, sir." Harry murmured. The man must have felt the slight callouses on his hand. Smart. "I...I started training on my own. After my first year." He glanced at Dumbledore as he said this.

The Headmaster spoke. "Actually, this last run in with Voldemort was not Harry's first time. Harry first met Voldemort at the end of his first year. He ran into a possessed form."

"So...you've not only bested You-Know-Who once, but three times?" A woman asked in surprise.

"Yes, Ms..."

"Hestia Jones. That is quite the remarkable feat. How did you manage to get away in your first year?"

Harry looked down at his lap. "I shot him."

"Shot him?" Someone asked, obviously a bit confused.

"With a muggle weapon. I was there when it happened. We had detention in the forbidden forest. We didn't know what it was. It was...a fluke, really." Dean said lamely.

"A muggle weapon? Was it called...a gon, is it?" Mr. Weasley asked, clearly interested.

"A gun." Dean corrected. "Um, after the incident, the Headmaster took it away, of course."

Moody slammed his drink down. "Now, this gun, it managed to take him out, hurt him somehow?"

Harry gave a slight nod. "It killed Quirrel." He whispered.

Sirius wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder, noting everyone's horrified looks. "It was an accident, and the man bled out 'cause he was afraid of getting caught."

"That's right." Dumbledore said gently. "I am still somewhat amazed that Harry managed to get away from those Deatheaters at the final task with the little training he's had. Besides Remus, and Alastor, of course, our Defense Professors have been...somewhat lacking." Dumbledore said delicately.

"Don't even get me started on Lockhart!" McGonagall said, sounding like an angry cat.

An elderly woman at the far end of the table frowned at this. "Now Minerva, he couldn't have been that bad."

Harry shifted anxiously at this. Dean gave him a worried look.

"What happened?" Shacklebolt asked, looking directly at Harry.

Dumbledore quickly redirected the conversation. "Now, as Harry was able to notify us quickly of Voldemort's return, we have been able to notify the authorities, and start making plans of our own."

"Like what?" Fred asked, leaning forward.

Mrs. Weasley spoke up. "Nothing for you kids to get involved in. Now up, all you lot go!" She motioned for the kids to leave. The Weasley kids did that, with a bit of grumbling, however, Harry and Dean stayed put.

"Harry, Dean, you go too." Mrs. Weasley said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me Mrs. Weasley, but you are not my Mother." Dean said, lifting his chin. "and I think Harry and I should be able to sit in on this meeting. Harry has been Emancipated, and has been declared legally an adult by the Ministry of Magic."

Everyone looked to Dumbledore expectantly. "Boys...I cannot allow you to join the Order. You both are still at Hogwarts, and-"

"That doesn't stop Voldemort attacking us, though." Dean pointed out. Everyone looked to Harry now, expecting him to speak up or something.

"Still, I must ask both of you to leave." Dumbledore said patiently.

"Fuck that shit, Harry's faced more Deatheaters than most of you combined!" Dean yelled, playing his part well as the malcontent.

"Dean!" Mrs. Weasley roared.

Dean stood. "What? Look, I know what's at stake here. I'm a muggleborn, remember? I've faced bigotry and hatred from both worlds, and I'm not going to be written off because I'm too young. You lot have no idea how much Harry and I have been through, you have no idea how much we've sacrificed over the years to prepare for this! We've known since our first year that Voldemort would return, and what have you guys done? That's right, nothing!" He roared.

"Harry? Do you feel the same way?" Dumbledore asked gently.

Harry kept his gaze down to his lap. "Headmaster, I think I know when I'm not wanted." He stood calmly.

Fleur stood up suddenly. "If 'arry can't be in the Order, I won't be in it either. I owe my life, and my sister's life to him many times over." She said, crossing her arms over her ample chest. Tonks stood too.

"I don't want to be in the Order if Harry's not in it. Give them a chance, Headmaster. They could help us." The young Auror said earnestly.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look, and everyone already knew what they thought. After all, anyone who knew Sirius and Remus also knew that they were insanely proud of the kid and all that he'd done.

McGonagall spoke carefully. "Albus...perhaps we can allow them to sit in on the meetings. After all, it's not like we would have them on the field. If they are informed, perhaps it would be better that way, rather than having to rely on speculations and rumors." Many, including Harry and Dean, were a bit surprised that McGonagall was backing up Harry and Dean.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Very well then. However, you will have to take a vow just like any of the other members."

Harry and Dean nodded quickly. They couldn't believe their luck. They took their vow- it was a standard one, on their wands. It was nothing like the vow they'd made with the AKDA.

It was clear that some of the other members were a bit upset at the two of them being allowed to sit in on the meetings, but apparently Cedric had been allowed, since no one had spoken up about him. Harry idly wondered why. Perhaps his Father had insisted- he was rather pushy, after all.

Dumbledore calmed everyone down, and started the official meeting. "Now, let's talk about recruiting. Alastor, why don't you go first?"

Moody nodded. "Well, we managed to get Tonks here, and Shack, but the others are mostly singing to Fudge's tune at the moment."

"And the hitwizards?" Dumbledore asked.

"You know what they're like. Whoever pays better." The man muttered. Dean did his best to keep his face blank at this- he was one of those hitwizards, after all. "We don't even know how many they have, or who's on their payroll. Potter, your girl, Bulstrode, her family's made up of known Hitwizards, right?"

Harry shifted in his seat uneasily at everyone's sudden stares.

"Well...ah, yes, actually. But Millie has been estranged from her family since her Father died."

"Aye...mission gone bad?"

A thought suddenly occured to Harry at that moment. "Actually, no. According to Lady Bulstrode, she told Millie that her Father had died of a heart attack. Honestly...we thought it was a bit suspicious. The manor had been trashed, and Lord Bulstrode was in good shape. It..it's part of the reason why Millie is estranged from her family now...she thought her Mother may have been somehow involved." Harry said quietly.

"That's a very grave accusation, Mr. Potter. Why didn't you come forward before now?" Dumbledore said, looking somber. All the Aurors at the table looked like they wanted to take notes.

"We think Lady Bulstrode paid off the Aurors who'd been at the scene, honestly."

"I see." Moody's eye whirled about. "We'll get to the bottom of it. Could be deatheater activity. After all, the family's always been Dark, and with Potter and Miss Bulstrode involved, maybe there was a change of heart."

"...yes, young love sometimes does that." Dumbledore said quietly. Harry blushed at all the stares he was getting. "Will Miss Bulstrode be joining us here at HQ this summer?"

"She might be. Um...but she's kind of busy, trying to get her inheritance from her Father all sorted out."

Dumbledore then changed the subject. "Any word on the dementors? No change in their patterns, are there?"

Tonks shook her head. "Nope. Nothing. I mean, we'd know if they left Azkaban." She snorted at this, her hair turning blue.

"I wish we had some insight to the Dark Lord's forces directly." Dumbledore mused, and looked to Severus, who was hiding out in the corner. "Severus, have you heard any word? Has he Called you, yet?"

Severus tensed at all the stares. "He has not Called me. I have heard that he considers me a traitor. I will not be able to go out openly, I fear, unless I have a Deathwish."

"Perhaps if you convince him..."

Harry's shoulders tensed. Harry tried to keep his gaze down to his lap, but he could feel someone staring at him. His eyes lifted, and he looked to see Shacklebolt staring at him, looking as though he knew exactly what Harry was feeling. What the hell? Stop staring! He screamed mentally.

"We've talked about this, Albus. My duties at the school, as Head of Slytherin will be needed more than ever. Thankfully, Mr. Potter may have managed to persuade some of the younger Slytherins to the light."

And there were the stares again, but this time, they were disbelieving.

"Really?" Someone asked incredulously.

Dean spoke up casually. "Well, yeah. I mean, if he can make them put up with me, and stop calling me a mudblood, I call that progress." Dean joked.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "What about young Draco Malfoy? He is your adopted brother, Harry. Do you think he agrees with our opinions, even though his Father is a Deatheater? I understand you two have gotten close."

Harry shifted uneasily. "Draco and I haven't really spoken since the Tournament. He didn't believe me when I told him his Father was a Deatheater. People...tend to believe what they want to believe. I can't change that. If we could get Draco to our side, he would be a good asset, but I don't think it'll happen. Like most Slytherins, he will want to stick to the winning side."

"You're a Slytherin." Someone pointed out.

Harry gave the group a ghost of a smile. "And that is why I'm here."

Dumbledore looked insanely pleased at this.

x-x-x

Another long chapter, and lots more information. Whew, this stuff is getting heavy. And the story only gets more complicated from here. Thanks for reading guys. Please review, it inspires me!


	41. Chapter 41

Love In the Dark

* * *

So...I spent most of the day writing yesterday. That was how I was able to post so much! I luv the weekends, lol. Hope you can keep up!

Oh! And we've hit over 1,000 reviews! Celebration will be had by all, especially me. Thank you guys. Make sure to check out my other stories- I have a lot of them. :)

x-x-x

The meeting continued- mostly talking about recruiting, and creating an intel network. Nothing that they hadn't already been doing. Harry and Dean sat back and listened. They did learn a few things, however. Fleur had gotten a job at Gringott's, and would be helping Bill. Madam Bones was quietly doing an inquiry about the events of the third task, behind Fudge's back. Dumbledore tasked the others with trying to recruit her. Harry knew that they wouldn't succeed, not after the Order had failed to protect the rest of the Bones family back in the first war. Augusta Longbottom was also mentioned as potential recruit, but Harry knew that they would not succeed there either. The woman did not want to get involved after Neville's parents had been tortured into madness by Bellatrix Lestrange. She would help Neville if needed, but not the Order.

"So, you were the muggleborn that competed in the Youth Dueling tournament. You two train together?" Moody asked gruffly as everyone started to leave the kitchen.

Dean shifted uneasily at this. "Well..."

"Yes." Harry murmured. "But...I've never really cared for dueling. I only do it because of safety concerns. I would never duel just for a competition."

"You know, Headmaster, since Potter is legally an adult, he should be able to practice magic outside school. Maybe he should get trained up properly?" Shacklebolt offered.

Tonks brightened at this, even her hair turned yellow. "I want to help!" She called out, bouncing in place.

Harry didn't like this idea, but if he turned it down, he knew the others would suspect something. Damn, Shacklebolt probably did this on purpose.

"Where would we train?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore looked dubious. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea. After all, the other children are not allowed to practice magic outside the school."

"But the lad really should train- Voldemort's after him." Moody pointed out.

The others agreed to disagree at this point, and it would probably be discussed at a later point. Harry headed out in the crowd, and Severus lingered behind, catching Harry's eye. Harry gave him a slight nod, notifying him he'd talk as soon as he could.

Dean went on upstairs, and Shacklebolt motioned towards Harry, clearly wanting to talk to him. The other Order members headed out of the house, whether by floo, or out the front door.

Harry approached Shacklebolt, rather alarmed as the man grabbed his arm, pulling him into the library. Harry gasped, reacting automatically, hitting the man's arm with a well placed shove, and a kick to his foot.

Shacklebolt backed off, hands up, a small smile on his face. Harry kept his face stony. "You have quite the supporters, Mr. Potter." The man gave a slight bow to him. "Without Ms. Tonks and Ms. Delacour's support, I don't think you would have been allowed to enter the group. Smart, what you did there, letting your friend do all the talking. That happen often?"

Harry didn't reply. He only cross his arms over his chest. He glanced to the doorway, and saw Severus lingering there. Shacklebolt didn't turn as he called out. "Snape, you can come in. And close the door."

Severus entered the room, closing the door behind him. "Kingsley." The man greeted. "Why are you manhandling my student?"

"Just testing. You've trained him, haven't you?"

Neither of them answered, and Shacklebolt chuckled softly. "Merlin, if Dumbledore knew...I'm shocked he doesn't know already."

Harry didn't admit to a thing. Kingsley's dark eyes were dancing as he took Harry in. "Tell me the truth, Harry, you're much more advanced than everyone knows, aren't you?"

"Why do you think that?" Harry asked calmly.

"I just do. And your friend...he better be careful. If he talks too much..."

"Dean knows how to take care of himself." Harry said softly.

"Of course he does." The man looked to Severus. "Who else have you trained?"

"No one." Severus said, in complete honesty.

Shacklebolt looked to Harry, giving him a long look. "You've been preparing for this for a long time. You were telling the truth when you'd said you'd been training since your first year. Why not alert anyone else?"

Harry just stared.

"I suppose no one would have believed you. Well...Albus won't let loose of his secrets so easily. If you're here for information that you can't get anywhere else, you're surely mistaken."

"I know." Harry said simply. "I'm not here for information." He wasn't. He was here to get more support. By being visible to Order members, he could get them on his side, rather than Dumbledore's.

Shacklebolt gave him a long look. "Which means you have your own way of getting information." He then looked to Severus. "Don't tell me, you really are spying..."

Severus shook his head. "I wasn't lying when I said that it would be dangerous for me to go back, Shacklebolt. Why are you really asking all these questions? What are your aims?"

The man smiled. "I want to win this war as badly as the two of you do. You see, I didn't grow up on this godforsaken island like the rest of you- I don't care much for House rivalries, or blood purity. I just want to do my job, and turn out golden at the end of it. I figure since you lot have been preparing longer...perhaps it is best to side with you."

"I don't know you. I don't trust you." Harry stated quietly.

Shacklebolt's smile didn't fade. "Yet you still feed me more information, and you're doing it knowingly. You want to know what I know, don't you?" Kingsley leant forward. "Well, it won't come easy." He whispered. He leant back, and tilted his head to Harry. "Let me know." And with that, he left.

The two slytherins stood there for a moment, frozen in place, unbelieving at what had just occurred.

"Get me any information you can find on Shacklebolt." Harry whispered.

"I will." Severus said. Their gazes met, and Harry took a step forward. Severus gave Harry a cautious look, shaking his head slightly.

Harry groaned in frustration. "I miss you." He whispered, wanting to reach for him.

"You will just have to wait. I'm sorry, Harry."

"You better make the wait worth it, then." Harry pouted.

Severus offered him a slight smile, and took a step towards his lover.

The library door opened, revealing Mrs. Weasley. She stopped short, seeing the two of them there. "Severus! I thought you'd left already. Harry, you should get to bed, it's already pretty late."

Harry sighed roughly. Severus nodded. "Yes, Molly, I shall leave shortly. I was just reminding Mr. Potter here that he is not excused from his Potions summer homework, even if there _is_ a war going on."

Harry shook his head at this. "Goodnight Professor." He called out, as the man left the house, leaving him feeling more alone than ever.

x-x-x

And the summer went on. Harry kept to himself mostly, training in the basement in the middle of the night, when everyone else was asleep. And he couldn't cast dark magic, because it would have been detected by Dumbledore. It was easier to hide dark magic in a huge old castle. The Weasleys took over the library, doing their homework there, and Harry grew bored quickly.

Even the Order meetings were rather boring- there was more arguing than anything else taking place, and what little information he learned, it was stuff he already was aware of. Shacklebolt had certainly been right about that.

Voldemort was lying low, and the Ministry was still sticking to it's opinion that Harry and Dumbledore were lying about what had happened. It was bullshit, and Harry was really, really starting to hate Fudge. Not only did the man call him crazy and delusional, he also insinuated that he could be Dark, considering he was a Slytherin, and many of his friends came from Dark families. Once in a while, someone, like one of his friends from the AKDA would write the newspaper to argue their points, but the tidbits would always be shoved to the back pages.

Some summer it was turning out to be. Millie finally came to visit, with Fleur in tow. Apparently, the girl had convinced her to sunbathe, because her normally pale skin had a nice tan to it. Fleur had also taken her shopping in the muggle world, and her wardobe was slowly evolving to be more...Millie, as she didn't have to worry about her Mother's opinion any more.

Mil cut quite the figure in her black boots, dark wash denims, and black short sleeved shirt. Harry was surprised to see the muscle tone she'd developed- had she really gotten that built while he hadn't been looking? She was still growing- she hit at 5'6" now, rather tall for a girl. With the boots, she usually topped off at 5'8". Harry was still a couple of inches shorter than her, still at 5'4". Dean towered over them both at nearly 6 foot even.

Harry and Mil were hanging out in Harry's room, trying to keep the boredom at bay. In other words, Harry was playing with his hair, while Mil was reading a book, lying on Harry's bed.

The twins popped in Harry's room suddenly, making both of them jump.

"Fred! George! What did I tell you about doing that here?" Harry yelled.

The twins laughed. "Oh come on, we were just playing." Fred said with a grin.

"We just wanted to catch you guys snogging." George waggled his eyebrows.

Mil snorted from her place on the bed. "Not going to catch us doing that." She muttered.

The twins laughed at this, and Harry got the feeling they knew exactly why they wouldn't catch Harry and Mil kissing.

"Oh that Harry Potter, he's so dreamy!" Fred said dramatically, pretending to swoon.

"Oh yes, and Millie, such a fox!" George fanned himself.

Harry and Mil both laughed at this. "What are you two doing here anyways?"

"Moody's downstairs. Says he wants us all to do hand-to-hand, since we're, well, the others aren't allowed to cast magic."

Harry sighed. "Alright. We'll be down in a minute." The twins popped away, and Harry and Mil exchanged a look.

"What do you think I should do, Mil?" Harry braided his hair.

"Show them what you can do. Honestly, I think Moody will be able to tell if you're holding back."

"Well...fuck. Alright. Let me change my clothes real quick. If Moody doesn't pair you up, I want you against Dean, Gin against Ron, and the twins together."

"Ginny's not going to like that." Mil pointed out.

"Well, the others would slaughter Ron, you know that."

"We have an odd number." Mil pointed out as she went towards the door.

"I know. We'll sort it out somehow."

Harry changed his clothes quickly, putting on a pale blue t-shirt and jeans, taking off his daggers and things, leaving him with just his wand holster visible. He didn't want Moody seeing his other weapons, after all. He felt so naked without them, though. He pulled on his shoes quickly, and headed down the stairs. He caught up with Mil at the landing, and saw the rest of the kids at the foot of the stairs with Moody, Tonks, and Shacklebolt. All three? Now he was really screwed.

Harry shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of Shacklebolt. "Why haven't we started yet?" Mil barked.

"Wanted to wait for you lot. Where's Thomas?" Moody grunted.

Harry glanced towards Mil. Mil spoke up. "He might be out."

"Out! Where? He can't just...leave!" Moody said, looking angry at this.

"Dean can take care of himself. He's probably just shopping in the muggle world. I'm sure he'll be back soon." Harry said smoothly, walking the rest of the way down the stairs. Harry knew Dean was probably on a mission- he wouldn't have left in the middle of the day, otherwise.

"...Well, I'll have to give the lad a talking to when he comes back." Moody growled, motioning roughtly to the library. "In there, all of ye."

The group went into the library, and Harry noted how...sparse the shelves were. Remus and Sirus must have really cleaned it up, then. Maybe he would ask after those books after all.

"Alright, you lot, line up!" Moody barked. They lined up, with Harry, Mil, Ginny, Ron, and the twins, in that order. "All of you take out your wands!"

They all did so, except for Ron. Ron flushed under the Auror's gazes. 'I...uh, left my wand upstairs. The twins said we wouldn't be using magic."

Mil rolled her eyes at this. "Never leave your wand someplace you can't get to it quick." She said sharply.

Ron scampered out of the room, trying to escape from the incredulous stares that the others gave him. Moody looked to the others. "Good. Now, Weasley-Ron, was right. We are doing hand to hand." Moody looked at everyone's wands. "See you all keep your weapons in good shape, quick draws, but you could be faster, all of you."

Ron came running back, slightly out of breath, wand in hand. Moody took one look at Ron's wand. "That's an old wand. Get a new one. You don't want a faulty weapon, do ya?"

"Well...I..." Ron looked uncomfortable.

Ginny spoke up. "I have a bit of money Ron, you could borrow some from me."

Ron looked a bit humiliated at this, and everyone was directed to put their wands away.

"Now! Let's get you paired off. Fred, George, you'll be with me. Ron, Gin, you'll be with Tonks, Potter, Bulstrode, you'll be with Shack."

Everyone paired off as they were told, and Harry and Mil headed for the corner with Shack. They could hear Moody start barking off orders to the twins already, while Tonks had Ron and Ginny get into a standard stance- she had to help Ron a bit.

Shack crossed his arms over his chest. "Potter, Bulstrode, get into standard, and begin. Five minutes, or less. Stop if I tell you, so I can correct your positioning."

Harry and Mil did as they were told.

Later that afternoon, all the kids left, hot and sweaty. Harry aimed to get in the shower straight away, while Mil flooed home for a well deserved rest. The others just collapsed in their beds. The three Aurors lingered behind in the library.

"You were right, Shack. They've been trained. Who taught them?" Moody pondered.

Tonks made a face. "Ron wasn't trained, I can tell you that. The twins are alright duelists, but I don't think it's their strong point. They're creative, sure, but not quick enough."

"Ginny is a quick learner. She's rather good, for being the youngest." Shack murmured.

"Bulstrode and Potter were way above the others. They've got their own dueling styles down pat, but I thought they were holding back." Moody said, frowning. "You lot agree?"

Shack nodded quickly, while Tonks looked thoughtful. "I don't know. They were pretty good. I'm surprised they were so rough with each other. They are going out, after all."

Moody snorted. "If they're really shagging, I'm the Queen of England. Potter's as fruity as they come, and Bulstrode was staring at the Weasley girl for a bit too long, if you get my drift."

Tonks gasped. "No!"

Shack looked thoughtful at this. "People see what they want to see." He murmured to himself, repeating Harry's words from their meeting.

Moody's eye whirled about at this, also remembering what Harry had said. "I think Potter and Bulstrode taught the twins and the Weasley girl. The dueling styles are different enough to escape notice, but there are too many similarities. You lot notice how the others took direction from Bulstrode, but only after they looked at Potter first?"

"Weasley, Ron Weasley, that is, is not involved with whatever they're doing." Shack stated quietly. "He's their weak point. If they're meeting up, he's undoubtedly noticed. He definitely does not like Potter or Bulstrode."

"Where Harry and Mil go, Dean follows." Tonks said, looking worried. "Where is he, anyways?"

Moody banged his cane to the floor, having a visible 'eureka' moment. "Potter didn't lie when he thought Thomas was shopping, I can tell you that. Bet he's gettin' supplies."

"But...why? I mean...they're a part of the Order now. We have our own suppliers." Tonks asked, obviously a bit confused at this.

Shack spoke carefully. "Those boys are loyal to each other, I don't think they trust the Order just yet, especially after what they've gone through."

"I know Dumbledore has been a bit blind..." Tonks said, her hair turning purple.

"A bit blind! The man couldn't tell I was replaced by a Deatheater." Moody growled, and Tonk looked at him in surprise.

"Mad Eye, what are you saying?"

"Maybe they're right not to trust the old man. Dumbledore's powerful, yeah, but I don't trust him. Never have. Once you've been around as long as I have, lassie, you'll understand."

"I think we should ask Minerva about Lockhart." Shack asked quietly. "Dumbledore obviously didn't want us knowing anything about why the man was sent off to Azkaban."

"Thought he was the one who set the Basilisk off." Moody muttered, frowning.

"I think it was something else. And I think Potter and Thomas were somehow involved there as well. Minerva was upset for a reason- she may have her own reasons to not trust-"

"Min's been by Albus' side since she was just a wee lass, she'd never stray!" Moody said, frowning.

"Not without a good reason." Shack pointed out.

x

Harry looked out the window, frowning. It was nearly dawn now, and Dean still hadn't come back. He'd never been gone for a mission this long before, and it made him worried. He'd wait a few more hours, and if Dean still wasn't back, then he'd have to go out. He quietly put his medi-pack together, and dressed into comfortable dark clothes. Just as he was pulling his hair back, he relaxed a bit. Dean's magic was recognizable to Harry, even from a distance. He'd just entered the house.

Harry quietly went down the stairs, prepared for anything. He saw Dean hanging onto the balustrade, sporting some vicious bruises, a split lip, and he looked as though he could barely stand. It wasn't the first time Dean gotten injured on a misson- after all, he a the junior member, and he did most of the grunt work.

"Dean!" Harry gasped, going to his friend quickly, and holding him up.

"Thomas! What happened to you?" Moody growled, coming from the kitchen. It looked like he'd been waiting for Dean to arrive as well. Did that man ever sleep?

Dean was in no shape to talk, obviously. Harry helped him to the kitchen, and sat him down at the table. With a flick of his wand, the pack was zooming into his hands. He wasn't as good at healing as Draco was, but he wasn't that bad either. Harry quickly went to work on his best friend, ignoring Moody's questions as he coaxed Dean into drinking a few healing potions.

"Alright darling, let's see..." Harry felt his arm. "Look like you've sprained your wrist." He tutted, bending the wrist gently. Dean hissed at the pain, and Harry pushed up Dean's sleeve, and cast a few healing spells. Harry took off Dean's shoe, and saw that his foot was swollen. "Damn, looks broken. What in the hell did you get into?" He murmured.

"Carrow." Dean grunted, finally able to speak.

"What'd you say boy?" Moody asked, eye whirling about.

Harry looked over at Moody. "Do you know how to heal a broken foot without resorting to skelegro?"

Moody nodded. "Yeah. But first, tell me about your run in with Carrow, Thomas."

Dean brushed his dreadlocks out of his face slowly, adjusting himself in his chair. "I was in Knockturne." He glanced to Harry, and Harry gave him a slight nod. "Getting supplies. Ran into Carrow. Wanted to give me an offer I couldn't refuse. I obviously refused." He spat out some blood.

Harry summoned a towel, and wiped at his face quickly. Dean pushed him away, frowning. "Figure they remembered me from the Dueling Tournament. Remembered me being Harry's friend."

"And that is why you don't go out alone, boy!" Moody made to smack the back of Dean's head, but Harry stopped him with a firm grip on the man's arm, giving him a dangerous look.

Moody gave a long look back, and pulled away. He looked down to Dean, drawing his wand. "Alright, let's get ya patched up, boy."

x-x-x

"The Knight Bus was blown up last night." This sentence greeted Harry one morning, by Ginny, who was reading the newspaper. Molly and the other Weasleys looked as though they didn't want to talk about this. Both Sirius and Remus were reading the paper over Ginny's shoulder. Dean was still in bed, recovering from his injuries.

"Three guesses why." Harry muttered, hating himself for a moment. Of course Voldemort would have done that. He was furious that Harry had been able to get away from him, and it would have prevented people from talking. Still, word had managed to get out anyways. Despite all the rumors going around, Fudge and the Daily Prophet were doing their best to sweep everything under the rug.

"Fudge is saying that it crashed into a muggle vehicle...clearly the Minister's never been on the Knight Bus." Remus said with a frown.

Harry sat down, as did Remus and Sirius. "Don't worry cub." Remus murmured, squeezing Harry's hand.

Molly set about serving everyone their breakfast. "Dean still in bed?" She asked Harry.

"Yeah. Those muggle bullies really did a number on him. Told him being in London on his own was dangerous." Harry said, lying easily to the woman. She would have thrown a fit if she'd known the truth. So far, only himself, Moody, Sirius, and Remus knew the truth. Not even Dumbledore knew, as it was likely the man would force Dean to be confined to the house all summer, even if he had an escort.

As it was, Moody still didn't know that Carrow had actually been Dean's target, as a hitwizard- Moody just that the Deatheater had found Dean, and not the other way around. Wasn't Dean's team supposed to help fix him up after these things went south?

Fleur breezed in, with Millie in tow. Both girls looked troubled. "Suppose you saw the news, then?" Mil said sullenly, sinking into a chair.

"It is just awful." Fleur whispered. Ginny swatted Ron on the arm, to keep him from staring at the pretty blonde.

Molly was already getting to be a problem, Harry realized. She didn't want the kids to find out anything, and she was nosy as hell. While Harry had enjoyed talking with her and such back at the Burrow ages ago, now she just grated on his nerves. He understood why Bill and Charlie had gone away for work right after Hogwarts, and why Percy had abandoned the family to work for the Ministry.

Harry really wanted to slap some sense into that idiot. But if he went around slapping all the idiots in the world, he'd have a very sore hand.

x-x-x

Tell me what you think. Please review. I am sleepy from all of this writing, and trying to answer everyone's reviews. XD


	42. Chapter 42

Love In the Dark

* * *

Thanks for all of your fantastic reviews. Prepare for slashy goodness of the girly variety.

x-x-x

Mil laid facedown on a blanket in the garden, reading a book on dark curses. She was completely naked, allowing the sun to tan her skin without all those pesky tan-lines. The only reason she was doing this was because Fleur was joining her in the sun whenever she didn't have to work. They had started doing this not long after Fleur had moved in, and Millie finished unpacking everything.

Millie's House was actually in muggle Liverpool, a decent sized two story home, not far from the water. The house was warded to the hilt, unseen by muggles and wizards alike, except for those that Millie allowed.

So far, only herself and Fleur lived here, although Harry and Dean were keyed into the floo as well. There were two bedrooms, a decent sized kitchen and sitting room, as well as a studio that her Father had set up for her. All of the paintings were hung inside the home, but they were a bit large for the size of the house. Still, the whole thing was paid for, and Millie liked it. It wasn't ostentatious, and she liked the area. The back garden was small, and Fleur quickly discovered that the sun hit it just right for sunbathing.

The first time Millie had seen the girl do this, she had seen her from the window, and just stood there in shock. Fleur convinced her after much conjoling to join her. Millie did like having a tan- it made her look different than all the other pureblooded princesses. And hanging out with a beautiful young woman who was equally nude was certainly a plus in her book.

Mil glanced up from her book, and saw the beautiful blonde laid out on her stomach, swaths of obscure looking papers and charts in front of her. She ran her lips over her quill, making Mil squirm a bit at the sight.

Fleur looked over, smiling prettily. "How are you doing, Millie?" She sat up, making Mil's eyes dart down to her book, trying to keep from staring at those beautiful breasts men would kill to see.

"I'm fine." She mumbled.

Fleur tilted her head, tossing her quill aside. "You know, you really shouldn't act so shy around me." She mused. "I am just 'appy that I am spending a wonderful day in the sun with one of my friends!"

Mil blushed.

"Are you alright, me petite? You look a bit flushed." Fleur said with a teasing grin.

"I'm fine. I...should probably head inside."

"No, no, you need to do the front first!" Fleur sing-songed, and Mil rolled onto her back, raising her hand to block the sun from her eyes.

Fleur got out the suntan lotion. "Let's keep that skin from burning, no?" She reached over, and as her hand touched Millie's thigh, Millie jerked back.

"Fleur...what are you doing? Why are you here?" Millie asked, a cautious look in her eyes, wanting to run back into the house. "You and I both know you could have found your own place by now."

Fleur just smiled. "It is nice, having a girl around that does not hate me for what I am, no? I am sure you are feeling the same way. I am only wanting to help, Millie. After all, any friend of 'arry's, is a friend of mine." She leant over, applying the lotion on her leg. "You pined after 'ermione, and you pine after others...you feel as though you are not deserving of affection, of amour, but that is not true."

Their eyes met, and Fleur's hand slowly slid up Mil's thigh. "I am 'appy to help, Mil. Tell me what you want." She murmured.

"You're not attracted to me." Millie said with a frown.

Fleur laughed. "I'm not? I think I know what I am feeling, Millie."

"But...Bill? Harry told me you have a thing for him." Millie said, trying not to watch the girl's breasts as she laughed. Merlin, they were gorgeous.

"I cannot be attracted to both you and Bill? I would not mind 'aving fun. I could teach you much." Fleur said, looking demure. She outlined Mil's hip with the tips of her fingers.

Mil gave her the slightest of nods. "Teach me." She said quietly.

Fleur leant forward, smiling widely now. Her hands took Millie's, and put the girl's around her waist. "Touch me. Explore. We are in no rush. I 'ave the day off, and you have much to learn. Do as you please."

Millie kept her hands put. "I...what if I get carried away? What if I hurt you?"

Fleur gave the girl an odd look. "Hurt?"

Mil blushed. "Hermione said I was too rough. That I hurt her. We only kissed twice, but I... I don't mean to, it just...happens. I get so excited that..."

A spark entered Fleur's eyes. "I see. And you and Harry...did you ever..."

"We fooled around. But...he liked it when I was rough." Millie confessed quietly, hands slowly traveling upwards, touching bare breasts for the first time that were not her own. Soft, so soft. Warm from the sun. They were heavy in her hands, probably a C-cup, maybe a D. Her nipples were just a shade darker, and they were hard, just begging for Millie to pinch them.

"...I should 'ave known." Fleur said, eyes fluttering closed as Mil groped her breasts. "He is submissive...that is why 'e 'as you and Dean..." She groaned. "Directing the others. So...obvious...hmm...feels good."

Millie swallowed thickly at this, moving a bit closer. "So...it's okay if..." She began to pinch the girl's breasts, making Fleur shudder at the touch.

"Not everyone can enjoy pain, but...there are some who do, like 'arry. Like me." Fleur murmured, opening her eyes slowly. Her lids grew heavy again as Millie slid her hand up Fleur's shoulder, up her neck.

"Can...can I kiss you?" Mil asked.

Fleur gave her a slight nod. "You may. Take this opportunity to do as you like. You do not 'ave to ask. I will let you know if I do not like." She gasped as Mil kissed her neck. "But I like. I like very much so far."

Their lips met, and Millie's body sang with want. Fleur was just about as opposite as you could get from Hermione, as far as looks went, but she was smart, and she was kind. She tasted sweet, and her lips were soft and yielding, allowing Mil to direct the kiss. Hands explored cautiously. Millie desperately wanted to move faster, but she took it slow, trying to memorize every curve, every texture, every scent.

Fleur groaned softly as Mil's hand went into her hair. "Tug it." She murmured, her bright blue eyes glittering. "I know you want to."

Mil kissed the blonde deeply, tugging at her hair, memorizing the way her silky locks felt around her fingers. They reminded her of Harry, only his hair was a bit wavier. How strange. She pulled away a bit, staring into the girl's eyes. Yes...she and Fleur could become very...very good friends. She did not know if they would become something more, and right now...she wouldn't think about that. She just...wanted to live in the moment.

She stood, feeling a bit daring, leaving the girl sitting on the ground. Mil stared at the girl who sat at her feet, and...just looking down at her turned her on.

Fleur was smiling knowingly at her. "Ah, my little Mistress." She laughed softly. "You are so commanding, yet you do not know it. By the time this summer ends, you certainly will."

x-x-x

While Mil was getting it on with Fleur, Harry was making plans of his own to sneak out. He'd have to wait until late in the night, when he was sure no one would be up to see him. He'd have to use his cloak, and then apparate a few blocks away from the house. He'd taught himself just after the third task was over, not wanting to get stranded again like that. Sure, it was illegal for him to do it until he turned seventeen, but Harry had done a lot of illegal things over the years.

Harry smiled to himself as he packed his overnight bag, making sure to have an extra set of regular clothes in addition to his nightshirt. He was just putting his hairbrush in the bag when there was a knock at his door. He quickly shoved his bag underneath the bed, and closed his dresser, hiding all of his girly clothes.

"Come in."

Remus came into the room, smiling slightly at Harry. "Hullo Harry. Can we talk for a minute?"

Harry nodded, motioning to a chair. Remus closed the door behind him, and sat down. Harry sat down across from Remus.

"...Well...Sirius and I wanted to talk to you about something. I...sort of got stuck actually doing it, since Sirius well...he couldn't really handle it. Have you and Severus...ah, progressed your relationship any?" The man asked delicately.

Harry chuckled, and then started laughing outright. "Oh come on, you don't need to ask. You already know." He tapped his nose.

Remus sighed, looking resigned. "Yes. You're right. But Sirius wanted me to ask anyways."

Harry's brows raised. "Don't tell me he's the pants?"

Remus looked a bit confused. Harry rolled his eyes. "You know, the Top?"

It was Remus' turn to laugh. "Oh no, no, no, Sirius is the bi-ahem, he's the bottom. Not that...we should be talking about this."

Harry looked a bit gleeful at this. "You were going to say bitch, weren't you? Damn, I just _knew_ pack dynamics were a part of your relationship! Do you two shag in your canine forms?"

Remus flushed. "I don't think that's any of your business."

Harry giggled, flopping back on his bed. "Merlin!" He sat up quickly, eyes bright. "So, you two manage to shag with Molly around?"

"...No."

"Must be tough." Harry said, smiling sadly. "How come you two aren't out? You've been together for ages now..."

Remus looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well...it's bad enough that Sirius never married and had his own heir. He could, but he's just making you his heir."

Harry snorted. "Thanks Sirius." He muttered. "So...that sucks. You guys can't live openly? I say fuck it. Love who you want, fuck the rest of the world. It's so obvious that you two are mad about each other. I'd do it myself, but not until the war is over, you know?"

"Are we...obvious?"

"Well...no. I mean...it helps that you've got that guy-friendly vibe thing, and neither of you are certainly uh...like me. Fruity Fairy Harry."Harry made a face at the nicknamed he'd heard often as a child.

"But...how are you supposed to get people to accept it if they don't know? If you two don't out yourselves by the end of this summer, I'll do it for you."

Remus growled. "If you do that, I'll out you."

Harry looked a bit surprised at this. "Finally, a bit of alpha male showing...wondered when that would finally show. You really suppress yourself, don't you?" Harry asked, and grabbed his bag from under his bed. "It's not healthy, you know."

"What's the bag for?" Remus asked suspiciously, trying to ignore Harry's comments as best he could.

"I'm going out tonight. Sev and I haven't gone so long without a good shag, it's making me crazy."

Remus grimaced at this. "Please...please don't talk to Sirius about that. He still thinks Severus is taking advantage of you."

Harry laughed. "He is. I want him to." Harry giggled to himself, putting a small bottle of perfume into the bag carefully. "You guys will cover for me, right?"

"...How are you planning on getting there?" Remus asked.

"Apparition." Harry said idly, going to his dresser. "What do you think the pink blouse, or the white one?"

"Uhm..."

"I'll go with the pink. What? You two do illegal stuff all the time. Why cant I?"

"It's just...it's not safe? You could splinch yourself."

"Remus...I know how to apparate. Believe me. I'll be fine. I'll come right back if there are any problems. Just...cover for me, alright?"

"Oh alright. You'll just leave anyways...Okay."

Harry hugged Remus tightly, pecking his cheek. "Thank you Remmy. You're the best!"

Remus sighed. Damn that Potter smile- it got him every time. Harry's Father said the same thing, every time they were about to get into trouble...

x-x-x

Harry knocked at Severus door briskly, grin on his face. It just getting dark out, and Harry was eager for a whole night of fun in the sack with Severus. He stood there for a moment, and saw Severus peek through a window. A second later, Severus threw the door open, dragging him inside.

"Missed me?" Harry pounced on him, kissing him hard.

Severus pulled away, looking a little less mad. "What in the hell are you doing here? You could have been caught, you could have been killed-"

"Oh shut it. I missed you, I wasn't followed. I would have known. Now, are you going to shag me in the foyer, or are we going to take this upstairs?"

Severus grabbed him by his waist, and hoisted him over his shoulder. Harry giggled as he was carried up the stairs. He waved at his bag, which had been abandoned by the door. It followed behind them on its own.

"Are you going to use the cane?" Harry asked, as they turned into the bedroom.

"I will use the cane, and whatever else I need to punish you with. You were very bad, Harry, sneaking out like that." Severus growled, dropping Harry on the bed. Harry landed with a bounce and a big grin on his face.

"I was, was I?"

Severus looked completely serious. "Harry, you need to stay safe. I'm not joking. Bend over the side of the bed and pull your trousers down."

Harry's smile faded at this, and he knew he was in for it. "Yes sir." He said quietly. He did as he was told, pulling his trousers down, revealing silky pink knickers with a bit of lace around the edges.

Severus stared at them for a long moment, and shook his head. NO, he would not let himself get distracted! He yanked those down as well, and went over to his drawers, and opened up his toy drawer. His hands lingered over the new cane- no. He'd not planned to use it like this. Not for their first time using it. That would just have to wait. He grabbed his sturdy wooden paddle, and stood next to his submissive.

"Harry...you know I only want you safe. You know that it's dangerous out there. Both of us are in grave danger, and you coming here, without an escort, without anyone's permission, was very, very bad."

"...I'm sorry sir." Harry whispered, feeling terribly guilty now.

"Twenty swats will do. Count them out."

x-x-x

While Harry was getting punished, Dean was holed up in an an alley way, along with the rest of the team. Dean was the look out, while the others were getting ready for the raid. They were to be raiding a Deatheater's home tonight- McNair. He was vicious, but there were five other men with Dean, all of them were very competent duelists.

Still, none of them liked him much. It was a bit obvious. Without Flint or Aiden around, he'd been left high and dry in this business. Flint was off in Germany doing something top secret, and with Aiden dead...well, none of the men really wanted to put up with him any more. It wasn't just his young age that did it, but his status as a muggleborn, an outsider to this select group of men.

"Alright kid, stay out here." The team leader said gruffly, and the others rushed inside. Dean hated this. He could be a part of the action too- he was more than able to put up a fight. There was a loud explosion, rocking the building from inside. He heard yells, and Dean tensed. He should go in. But he was told to stay here.

He heard someone running, and he got ready. He threw his dagger as soon as he saw McNair in the doorway, hitting his neck. The man gurgled a bit, blood spilling out of his mouth. He lunged for Dean, and there was a struggle. Dean grabbed his dagger from the man's throat, stabbing him in the gut. Just as he pulled the dagger out, he felt the man pierce his arm. Damn. He felt sluggish as the poison entered his system. Of course...he realised vaguely...he'd left his right side open. He stabbed McNair in the eye, and the man fell down to the ground, dead.

Dean dropped to his knees, barely registering his teammates running out of the building, not even looking his way, not even trying to help him. There was crossfire. Dean dropped to the ground, barely manageing to get out of the way.

He rolled onto his back, hand going to his side. It hurt. He felt McNair's dagger protruding from his side. He registered someone else approaching, kneeling down beside him. He blinked up, seeing a familiar face.

"Shack...what are you doing here?"

"Helping you." Shack said quietly. He poured a potion down Dean's mouth, keeping his hand over it to keep him from spitting it out. Dean swallowed the potion, and things didn't look so fuzzy.

"Alright, let's get this thing out of you." The man held him carefully, drawing the dagger out of Dean's side. Dean grunted at the pain, tears coming to his eyes as it fell to the ground. "You're bleeding quite a bit. Where is your team?"

Dean didn't answer him.

"Where is your team?" Shack repeated, helping the boy up, practically dragging him back inside the building.

"Left." Dean said. "Just...left me there. I knew they fucking hated me, but I didn't think they'd just leave me to die." Dean spat.

Dean was shoved onto a sofa. The sitting room they were in was covered in rubble.

"How did you get here?" Dean breathed, watching as Shack shoved Dean's shirt up, and started casting healing spells.

"I was already here. I suppose someone else wanted McNair hit as well." the man muttered. "I'll make sure the right people know you were the one that did the kill. The price on his head was worth a pretty penny, Little Brother."

Dean's eyes widened at his code name. "You're a Hitwizard?" The boy breathed.

"Yes." Shack said shortly. "Alright, you're healed, but you'll get a scar."

"Another to add to the collection." Dean said with a grin. "Man...that feels a lot better. So, you with the Ministry? How can you be both a Auror and a Hitwizard?"

Shack helped him up, steadying him. "I'm sure you're aware of the corruption of the Ministry. I was sent here when Black was found innocent of his crimes."

"...Oh." Dean murmured. Shack must be a high level operative, most likely on the international level. As he thought about this, he passed out.

x-x-x

Harry limped into Grimmauld Place quietly, just before sunrise. He made his way to the stairs, and climbed up them slowly. He held himself stiffly, knowing that he was going to have to get a bit of rest that day. After his punishment, Severus definitely made up for lost time. Harry knew he had a fair few bruises forming underneath his clothes- he just hoped no one else would notice. His ass hurt like hell, but definitely in a good way.

He exhaled slowly as he made it to the stairwell, and looked up. Damn. Why did he have to be on the top floor again? He held onto the banister carefully, hating that he had to come back here when he could be sleeping in with his lover. Harry bit back a groan. Why hadn't he taken Severus up on his offer of the healing salve? Damn.

He climbed the last staircase, dying to get into bed and sleeping it off. He was exhausted, but he felt so good, better than he had all summer. He smiled weakly as he approached his bedroom, wincing at the creak in the wooden panel he just happened to step on.

A bedroom door opened quietly, and Harry stopped short as he saw Shack poking his head out of Dean's bedroom.

"What are you doing here?" Harry hissed.

Shack frowned. "Come here. Where have you been?"

"Out." Harry said shortly, walking towards the man, trying to hide his limp a little. "What's going on?"

Shacklebolt guided him inside Dean's room, and Harry saw his friend lying on top of the covers, shirtless, with a bandage around his waist.

"A raid went bad. He's hurt pretty bad, but he'll recover." Shack said. Harry dropped his overnight bag to the floor, going to his friend's side. Harry sat on the edge of his bed, brushing back one of Dean's dreadlocks from his face.

"He's okay?" Harry asked, and looked to Shacklebolt. "Why were you there? Did you follow him?"

"No. I...am in the same line of work as Dean is. Just...a higher level."

"...Oh."

"I'm rather surprised that they took him on." The man commented. "He's very young, not like the other typical recruits."

Harry snorted at this. Oh hell, Shack knew everything, probably, if the man was so high up. "What do you know?" Harry asked hollowly.

"I'll keep your secrets. If I wasn't planning on joining your side already, do you honestly believe I would have allowed you to find out as much as you have about me? I know Snape's been looking into my files. What I want to know, is how he got access to them." The man said sharply.

"He was a spy, you know. He knows how to do a great deal of things." Harry said quietly, tugging a blanket over his friend. "You were right in saying that he trained me. He is a good teacher, and a good friend. You know you will have to take a vow, Shacklebolt. I need a guarantee of your secrecy."

"Of course. I expected nothing less. In exchange, you will have to keep my secrets as well."

x-x-x

Wooo, another chapter! I'm on a roll today!


	43. Chapter 43

Love In the Dark

* * *

FANTASTIC reviews everyone. Oh, there's LOTS of stuff happening in this chapter. It's a bit crazy, but war is like that, right?

x-x-x

Harry was turning fifteen. Only one more year until he reached the legal age of consent. Not that it mattered much to him, but he didn't want Severus to get arrested if they were caught together in the muggle world. He woke on the morning of his fifteenth birthday to a package landing in his lap. He bolted upright, and saw a grinning Dean.

"Happy birthday, bitch."

Harry rolled his eyes at this, and looked at the package in his lap. "Glad to see you're feeling better. This doesn't look like your normal horribly wrapped present. Did Luna wrap it?" He waggled his brows at his friend.

"Shut it. It's from Narcissa, Draco, and Lucius. Thought you might want to open it now, while we're alone."

"How'd you get it?"

"Severus. He's downstairs. The kitchen's being prepared for your party, so you can't go down there yet. Oh, and our letters arrived too. Here." Dean shoved it at him.

Harry set the letter aside, looking at his gift from the Malfoys. It was a framed picture of himself and Dean, with the three of them, in the garden. A scowling Draco was squashed in between a laughing Harry and Dean, while Lucius and Narcissa looked fondly on. It was in a very nice picture frame. He missed them.

"How are they?"

"Don't know. I haven't talked to them either, remember? Cheer up, babe, we'll talk to Draco and catch up once term starts. Now, you better get dressed- I heard Molly's going to be serving you breakfast in bed, but it'll be kind of awkward, as you're rather...naked."

"Ah. Yes. Well...I'll get dressed then. And...clean up a bit." Harry said, glancing about his room. He normally kept it tidy, but clothes were strewn about, as he hadn't been able to decide what to wear for his not-so-secret surprise birthday party.

With a flick of his wrist, all of his clothes were put away, and he grabbed his pajama shirt from underneath his pillow, and pulled it on quickly. He just managed to stash the photo of the Malfoys underneath his pillow when Mrs. Weasley opened the door.

"Good morning Harry! I thought, as a treat, you'd like breakfast in bed!"

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, it looks delicious!" Harry said, pointedly ignoring Dean's stifled laughter. Harry was glad that his friend was in such a good mood, though. After the previous week, Dean had been furious at his team for leaving him like that. But now he was in an insanely good mood. It might have had something to do with the large amount of money that had been deposited into his account, and his team being sent off for a dangerous mission that would probably end up with them being killed.

x-x-x

The party was well underway by that afternoon. A good amount of Order members were present, although most of them were there just for the cake. Luna and her Father were there, as well as the Diggories, the Weasleys, of course. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape were there, although Severus just stuck to hiding in the corner, catching Harry's eye once in a while.

Then there was Tonks, Shack, and Moody- the three of them talked about old missions, keeping Ron and the twins occupied. Harry mostly sat on the sofa, talking quietly with Dean, Ginny, Luna, Mil, and Hermione. Hermione had arrived early, as Tonks had to side-apparate her to get there. Luna was curled up in Dean's lap, while Ginny sat on the floor with Hermione.

It turns out that Hermione made Gryffindor prefect. Harry guessed Neville made prefect as well, considering both Ron and Dean didn't get the badge. Ron, because of his horrible grades, and Dean, probably because he got into trouble too much. Harry wasn't surprised that Severus didn't recommend him for prefect- he had too much going on as it was.

Sirius and Remus were talking with Molly and Arthur, well, arguing with Molly was more like it. Sirius did that a lot with the woman. Arthur and Remus were mediating, but it wasn't going too well.

The floo flared, and everyone looked over, not expecting another guest to arrive. Neville came out, looking stressed. His clothes and hair were dusty, and he had some scrapes on his hands and face.

"Harry, we've got trouble." Neville said, sounding shaky.

Harry stood from his place on the sofa, and his friends stood as well.

Moody stomped over, frowning. "Longbottom- what are you doing here? Black, how does the Longbottom kid know the secret?"

Sirius looked unapologetic- they'd told Neville for just this kind of reason. Everyone went quiet, looking at Neville expectantly.

"Neville, what's wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly, going to Neville's side.

"Deatheaters. Daphne, Rosie, and Astoria are at the Manor now, so is Pansy. Tracey...Tracey's gone." Neville finished, his voice quieter.

"...Gone?" Harry gasped. Dean went up stairs quietly, most likely to get his weapons. After all, the gang could only wear their wand holsters, with Moody around.

"She's not dead...but...the Deatheaters took her. She might as well be." Neville looked as though he would cry any moment. Hermione hugged him tightly.

"The others?"

"Daphne and Astoria are in bad shape, but they'll recover. Rosie's a trooper- they were lucky that they were all together when it happened. Pansy...Pansy's in really bad shape." Neville whispered. He looked to Hermione worriedly. "We managed to get out of them that your place will be next, Hermione."

The girl gasped in fright. "But...but how did they know where I..."

Harry interrupted. "Thank you Neville. Go back to your place, look after the girls. I'll be there as soon as possible. Hermione-"

Dumbledore spoke up. "Are you and Augusta okay? Should we send a medic over?"

"...y-yes, Headmaster." Neville said, feeling a bit intimidated. Severus slinked over from his corner.

"I will attend to the girls, Headmaster." The man stated. "They are my Slytherins, after all, and I have healing training."

Severus and Neville left through the floo.

Harry and Dumbledore spoke at the same time. "Alastor, Nymphadora, I would like for you to-" "Moody, Tonks, I want you to go with Hermione, and-"

They stopped, and stared at each other for a moment. Harry motioned to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore turned to the group again. "Alastor, Nymphadora, accompany Miss Granger to her home to see if her parents are okay."

"I think they should have back up." Dean said, pushing his way through the crowd. He was pulling his leather jacket on, and tying his dreadlocks back. He most likely had his weapons stashed underneath that jacket of his.

"Now Dean, you're much too young..." Mrs. Weasley began, but Moody cut her off.

"No, Thomas will be needed. He can help the Grangers, while Tonks and I are busy with the Deatheaters."

Hermione began to cry at this. "We can't just stand around here! Let's go!" She said, drawing out her wand.

Fleur spoke up, going to Hermione's side. "I shall come too. We may be outnumbered."

Harry could tell that many of the Order members didn't think Fleur would be of much help.

The floo flared again, and this time, it was Cedric. "The Lovegood place is on fire! I could see the smoke from all across town, and-"

Harry cursed quietly. Xeno spoke up. "Good thing we are here, then, right pumpkin?" Luna nodded.

Cedric looked relieved at this. "Thank Merlin. What about everyone else?" He asked, stepping through, looking around at the gathered crowd.

"Tracey might have talked." Dean murmured to Harry.

Harry paled at this, and he looked to Mil worriedly. "Mil, go check up on the others. Please."

"I'm on it." Mil murmured, and without a word to anyone, she flooed out.

"She...she just can't leave like that!" Mrs. Weasley yelled.

"Actually, she can." Harry said. "Mil can take care of herself. Sirius? Remus?"

"We're on it." Sirius murmured, and the two men apparated away on the spot.

"Where are they going?" McGonagall asked.

"Checking on our other friends. Hermione, you guys should be going."

"Oh...yes!"

The group headed out, and Harry felt uncomfortable under all the stares. He desperately wanted to leave, to go check on his friends, but he knew if he left now, people would throw a fit.

"We need to find Tracey." He stated, trying to keep calm. "Does anyone have any ideas?"

x-x-x

The Granger home was quiet, when they arrived. The lights were out- it was just hitting dusk. Moody led the team, pausing as they saw that the door was ajar.

They heard a bit of whimpering come from inside the house. Hermione gasped, and headed in, but Fleur held her back. The group slowly entered the foyer. The house was a mess- there was an overturned table, a broken lamp.

A set of legs could be seen from behind the couch. Dean went forward, drawing out his dagger in the too quiet house. He paused as he saw who only could only have been Hermione's Father. He looked as though he'd been hit with the killing curse. The man had a gun in his hand, and he was scraped up. At least he'd managed to put up a fight. He was vaguely aware of Moody searching the rest of the sitting room, while Fleur held Hermione back, and Tonks was slowly approaching the stairs.

Dean glanced up, shaking his head. Hermione ran over, tears falling down her face. She let out an odd groan, looking as though she was going to pass out.

"What was that?" They heard a man call out from upstairs.

They heard a noise from the kitchen. "I'll check it out." Another man called out.

As soon as the man entered the doorway, Tonks hit him with a stunning spell, and Fleur bound him with an incarcerous. He had a bag full of jewelry and trinkets in his hand- he was clearly trying to steal items from the Grangers.

Moody motioned to the stairs, and led the way up, Tonks and Fleur going with him. Hermione was in no shape to duel- she was falling apart. Dean stayed with her, checking on the stunned deatheater, while the others went upstairs. He subtly nicked the man with his poisoned blade. The man would die in a moment- he couldn't risk him coming out of the stunning spell.

Hermione sobbed, and Dean wrapped an arm around her, looking worriedly up the stairs. He heard a crash, and unmistakable sounds of a duel. The deatheater fell over the banister, falling to the floor with a sickening crunch. He groaned in pain. Dean was just about to head over when Fleur dropped to the floor gracefully, landing on her feet. She had a frightening look on her face, and it was then Dean noticed that the man's pants were undone. He turned Hermione quickly away from the scene, hiding her face in his shoulder. She didn't need to see this. Just her luck, her first time in a real fight, and it was in her own home.

Fleur slit the man's throat with a quick flick of her wand, and applied another cutting hex to his dick. "You're disgusting!" She spat, and kicked him. The man howled in pain, drowning in his own blood.

Dean let go of Hermione, grabbing Fleur and pulling her away from the dying man. He leveled his dagger straight at the man's face, pulling him to sit up.

"Who else are are you attacking today?"

"Why would I talk to you, you filthy mudblood?" The man said raspily, spitting some blood onto Dean's face.

Dean wiped it off brusquely.

"Where are you holding Tracey Davis?" Fleur asked, aiming her wand at the man's stomach.

"I'm not telling you, you fucking bitch-" He screamed as Fleur hit him with another hex, this time, his stomach started to bleed profusely. The man gagged and choked, his breathing heavy.

"Malfoy Manor." He gasped, and fell over, dead.

Tonks and Moody came down the stairs, Tonks carrying who could only be Mrs. Granger in her arms. The woman was bloodied up, unconscious. Dean could tell her skirt and blouse were ripped, and she looked very, very pale.

"She's close. We have to get her to St. Mungo's." Tonks said tersely. "Hermione, you'll have to come with me." The two of them apparated out on the spot.

"This piece of filth managed to tell us that the Davis girl is being 'eld at Malfoy Manor." Fleur said with a scowl. "We will be outnumbered there."

Moody hissed at this. "Fuck. I'm going to alert the Aurors about the mess here, you two go back to HQ, and see what we can do. Davis a security risk?"

Dean's eyes glinted. "Yes." And she was their friend as well. Who knew what she was being put through.

x-x-x

Remus returned to HQ with a bloodied up Susan in his arms, looking dreadfully pale. "Amelia Bones is dead."

Everyone looked shocked at this- Amelia Bones was a formidable woman- there was a reason why she was Head of the DMLE, after all. "They tried their best to hold them off- we just managed to get away because of...of Amelia."

Harry went to Susan, helping Remus set her down on the sofa. She was unconscious. "Where's Sirius?"

"Looking in on the Abbots. They were nearby, he should be back soon."

Sirius popped into the foyer not a moment later, holding his arm close to his chest. He was bleeding. "They're alright. They managed to have a portkey prepared. I held them off while they ran." He collapsed on the floor next to the sofa, looking at Susan. "The Bones girl...Amelia?"

"Dead."

McGonagall and Dumbledore started to heal Susan, while Harry watched on.

Remus pulled Sirius into his arms, holding him tight. Harry looked over as Remus kissed his lover, right in front of everyone. About freaking time, he thought. It only took a major death eater attack to come out. The other Order members looked properly scandalized. They could go fuck themselves. After today, Harry just wanted to curl up with Severus in a corner and cry.

Susan woke up, and promptly vomited on the floor. McGonagall cleaned up her mess, and held her, consoling her as she began to cry. Dean and Fleur walked into the house, with not a scratch on them.

"Where's Hermione and the others?" Harry asked tersely, standing up.

"Hermione and Tonks are at St. Mungo's with Hermione's mother. Mrs. Granger's in bad shape. Mr. Granger is dead. We found out Tracey's being held at Malfoy Manor." Dean reported quickly.

Dumbledore let McGonagall take over Susan's healing, and spoke. "Malfoy Manor? Even with all the wards and protections, we'll be vastly outnumbered... I fear that we cannot-"

"No." Harry bit out, trying to control himself. "I am not losing anyone today." Harry said, keeping his voice steady. His eyes were bright with anger, his hands shaking. This was the closest any of the Order members had come to seeing Harry get mad. At least it hadn't gotten to the point where things were shaking and breaking. Harry was trying his best to control his anger. "I will go to Malfoy Manor myself, if I have to." He looked down at Susan, who was smiling up at him tearfully. She gave him a slight nod. She'd be okay. Eventually.

Mil came through the floo, looking like she'd run through a marathon. "Tracey's being held at Malfoy Manor. Draco will help us get inside, but we have to move quick. Small team, in and out. We can't risk a show." She panted, bending over to catch her breath. She didn't mention to the others just yet that Theo's place had been deserted, and she had been blocked from flooing to the Zabinis, Crabbes, and Goyles. They had to get Tracey- she knew more than the guys did, out of the core group. Who knew what had happened to the boys- had they been recruited? Had they been punished for their 'treachery' against the Dark Lord?

Harry looked at Dean, and his friend nodded. "Dean, Mil, and I will go. We're know the Manor better than anyone else here. Don't argue." Harry said sharply, looking at Dumbledore. He saw the resigned look in the man's eyes.

"Harry..."

"We have to. Tracey knows information. If Voldemort finds out, a lot of things are at stake here. We can't just leave her there."

Remus helped Sirius stand up. Sirius spoke up. "I'll go. I stayed there for a bit, I know my way around."

"You're injured." Harry pointed out. "We'll be right back."

Luna came running towards Harry, medi-pack and his holsters in hand. People stared at her strangely, especcially when Harry grabbed them from her. It was surreal, watching these teenagers just take over like this. They...were shocked, really. Questions were sure to come later. Harry quickly strapped them on, and looked to Dean and Mil. "We have a plan, Mil?"

"Draco will let us through the floo. They're holding her in Lucius' private study. That's all he could tell me, before he had to lose the connection."

"It could be a trap." Shack pointed out. "I'm going with you."

Dean and Harry exchanged a look, and Dean gave Harry a slight nod.

"Alright, but this is a rescue operation, that's all." Harry said, and headed for the floo. And out they went.

There was silence, for a long moment. Then Mrs. Weasley spoke. "They're just children...I can't believe you let them go, Headmaster."

"Mr. Potter was right. None of us know the layout of the manor as well as they do. After all, Mr. Potter and Mr. Thomas lived there several years, and Miss Bulstrode was a frequent visitor." Dumbledore reasoned. "And I trust Kingsley to watch over them. He is a very formidable dueler. Minerva, please floo Poppy. We're going to need her assistance. I will head to the Ministry. "

x-x-x

The group came out of the floo, and were faced with a pale Draco and Narcissa. Kingsley came through, and both of them looked a bit nervous at this.

"You two alright?" Harry asked, readying his dagger. Mil raised the hood on her black hoodie, while Dean took out his dagger.

"...You have to hurry. Who is this?" Narcissa asked.

"Shack. Stay here. Guard the floo." Harry whispered, and disillusioned himself. Shack and Mil copied him, while Dean hid in the corner, blending in with the shadows.

Narcissa led Harry and Mil through the back passageway, to get to Lucius' study. "She's in terrible shape. They...they r-raped her." Narcissa said, her voice trembling. "They've been interrogating her, and she tried not to talk, but..."

"It's okay." Harry whispered. He tugged Millie on the sleeve, and the two of them went on on their own, leaving Narcissa to make a distraction of some sort. Harry and Mil slowly made their way to Lucius' private study under the drawing room, sticking to the shadows, keeping out of the Deatheaters' way.

Tracey was bound by her wrists, her robes hiked up around her waist. She was bruised and bloodied, her head hanging down. Her hair looked matted with her blood. She was sitting in a chair, surrounded by three death eaters.

"Now, Miss Davis, surely we can come to an agreement, don't you think? Or should we do some persuading?" One of the men asked, grabbing her by the hair. She began to cry, trying to jerk away from him.

The man slapped her soundly. "Tell us, bitch! Where are the rest of Potter's buddies? And don't fucking lie!"

"I-I don't know!" Tracey wailed convincingly. "I don't know anything! He never trusted me as much as the others, I'm not even all that useful, just please, please let me go..." She sobbed.

"Well, you are certainly useful to us. Barty, want to have a go at her? You haven't taken a turn yet."

"...Hmm...I don't know...I really wanted to get my hands on that Granger girl- what was that?" There was a huge crash upstairs, just above them.

Harry and Mil shuffled out of the way silently as Barty and one of the other men ran up the stairs, leaving Tracey with the third. Tracey looked upwards, looking hopeful at this.

"They're here!" She grinned, kicking the man in the shin. "I knew they'd come for me!" The man stumbled back a bit, and Mil grabbed the man by his head, twisting his neck. He fell to the floor with a dull thud, dead. Mil's hands shook as she and Harry untied Tracey quickly. It was the first man Mil had killed outright- she'd have to throw up later.

"We're here, Tracey. We've got you." Harry whispered. "You'll be okay."

"I tried Harry, I really did...Daddy just...gave me to them..." The girl sobbed.

"Shh..." Mil whispered. "We have to move quickly." They would talk later.

They went through another passageway, after making Tracey invisible. They heard yelling coming from up above them. They quickened their pace, and Tracey groaned in pain.

"I'm sorry, Tracey, but we have to move faster." Harry whispered. They managed to sneak back into the room. Draco was gone. Dean ushered them inside.

"Draco went to help his Mother. She made a show of seeing someone outside on the grounds. Thank fucking god they pulled through."

And they flooed out.

x-x-x

Whew. Heavy. Please review. How do you think people will react, now that they know that Harry and his friends are so organized? And how in the hell did Fleur manage to fall from a second floor to the first, and land on her feet so gracefully? What happened to the guys they couldn't reach? And what will the repercussions of these attacks be? All of that and more will be answered in the next chapter. Please speculate and review. XD

**As you all know, I'm an artist. If any of you would be interested in commissioning pictures of characters/certain scenes from this story, pm me and let me know. I can do it in pretty much any medium- oil, watercolor, acrylic, pencil, ink, digital- I need money**. **I would lol, but it's really not a laughing matter. **


	44. Chapter 44

Love In the Dark

* * *

Heavy stuff in the last chapter. I know some people don't like violence and all that, but it's war, you know? It's going to happen. I'll try my best to keep it balanced. Thanks for all of your great reviews.

x-x-x

"Crucio!" Voldemort roared, watching Barty writhe under the power of the cruciatus curse. The man screamed, arching his back, falling to the floor.

The rest of his men immediately went to their knees, terrified.

"I gave you a simple task! Interrogate the prisoner, and do anything you could to find out more information about Potter and his friends!" Voldemort screamed, furious at his followers. "And she got away! She's a little girl, not even of age, and yet, she somehow got away! And you didn't find out a thing!"

"Well, someone must have snuck in, someone must have twisted Bulstrode's neck-"

"Find out who did it. I want answers. Dispose of the body in Knockturne. See who is interested in it." Voldemort said, his voice flat. The new Bulstrode Lord was dead- he must have been surprised, taken on from behind. He was a good duelist, they would have heard a duel otherwise. The attackers must have been invisible.

He turned to Lucius, who had his wife and son cowering behind him in fear.

"As all of you were accounted for, I know that none of you could have possibly let anyone in...Lucius...I do hope that you changed the wards after Potter discovered your treachery?"

"Of course my Lord!" Lucius bowed low. "The wards will not permit any of Potter and his friends. I changed the wards after the third task, when Potter discovered I was one of your followers."

"Draco...come here." Voldemort purred, and the Malfoy heir stepped forward- visibly frightened, but brave enough to come forward. Draco copied his Father, bowing low.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I will need your assistance in the coming year. Make sure that our newest followers will do as they are supposed to. Find out where Potter and his...friends are hiding. If you don't..."

The man pointed his wand to Narcissa, who took a step back.

"She will die. Do you want your Mother to die, Draco?"

"...No, my Lord." Draco whispered, keeping his head bowed.

"Very well then. You have until Yule."

The Dark Lord turned to the rest of his followers. "We have lost three men today, and we have gained four more. Gentlemen?"

Vincent, Greg, Theo, and Blaise stepped forward, keeping their heads bowed low, looking terrified. The boys were unmarked, and would have to remain so until they were finished at Hogwarts.

"Welcome. Draco will be in charge of your team once you return to Hogwarts. You are all charged with the task or recruiting, and finding out information. You will all report to me at Yule, along with Draco. I expect to hear good things. I have no qualms about cursing any of you, but I would prefer not to. After all, you are the heirs of great ancient lines, and you are the future of our magical community."

Blaise breathed out slowly at this, hoping there would be no cruciatus today. He knew that the girls had had it much harder than they- after all, it had been expected for the boys to join the Dark Lord their whole lives. And the girls were the only ones that really hung out with Harry publicly anyways- it was easier to pretend you weren't best buddies with Harry Potter when you weren't seen in the papers with him.

For once, Blaise was glad that Harry preferred to hang out with the girls, even if he did feel horrible for thinking it. He didn't wish their fates on anyone.  
He'd learned his lesson long ago- while he may be bowing to Voldemort, he would always be loyal to Harry. The scar he bared proved it.

"Theodore, what do you think the punishment should be for allowing three of my men to be killed, and our hostage to be lost?" Voldemort asked Theo. The smallest boy there straightened slightly, looking uncertain.

"The Cruciatus?" The boy said softly.

Voldemort laughed, and began to punish their Fathers, their uncles; whoever had been involved in planning the raids. The newest recruits stood and watched, glad that it wasn't them.

Theo bit his lip to keep from crying out, watching his Uncle be cursed. After his Father had been killed, he'd been taken in by his Uncle. If he ran to Harry, he would be followed and most likely killed. His own Uncle had threatened him if he ran- he had no choice. No options. Not until he got to Hogwarts. Then, he could figure out what to do from there. He just had to survive the summer.

x-x-x

Hermione sat outside the hospital room, wringing her hands. She felt so...miserable, sad. The Healers were working on her Mother now...and now she was just waiting. Tonks sat next to her. "Want a biscuit?" She asked, holding one out.

Hermione shook her head mutely.

Tonks munched on the biscuit, trying not to think of what had occurred this evening. Sounded like Voldemort blew his cover to stage an attack on Harry's friends. For what- vengeance? They were just kids. They still didn't know how everyone else had fared. Hopefully the others would...

She spotted Moody stomping down the corridor, looking grave, leading two other Aurors behind him. She'd trained with the two men- they were good in a duel, but total prats. She stood immediately to attention. "Moody."

Moody gave her a curt nod, glancing down at Hermione. "How is Mrs. Granger?"

"Haven't heard yet." Hermione said timidly.

Moody motioned to Tonks to follow him a bit away from the girl. Tonks followed him, curious.

"Amelia Bones is dead." Moody said bluntly.

Tonks gasped, eyes wide.

"What? How?"

"We've got a team over there now. Her niece, Susan, managed to make it out with help from Remus, but Amelia..."

"Merlin...I can't believe this." Tonks whispered, feeling as though she was about to cry. Amelia had been one of her biggest influences, right after Mad Eye.

"Scrimengour will most likely take her place. Thompson and Durgess will take over from here- they handle...uh, this sort of thing more often. You're needed at HQ straight away."

"But..."

The hospital room doors opened, revealing a healer. They looked at Hermione.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione stood quickly, looking worried. "Is my Mum alright? Will she be okay?"

Moody and Tonks could tell by the look on the Healer's face that it wasn't good news. Moody turned away, crossing his arms over his chest, not wanting to see what he'd seen hundreds of times before.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger...we did all we could. She's a muggle, so...she couldn't react to our spells properly... I'm very sorry, Miss Granger, but your Mother passed away."

x-x-x

Harry woke early the next morning, just as the sun was rising. He was sleeping in the sitting room, along with a lot of the other kids. Neville and Augusta had come over with the girls late last night, staying here until they were able to raise the fidelis around their home. None of the girls wanted to be apart from each other for very long, and Harry didn't blame them. He sat up, looking around the sitting room.

Daphne, Astoria and Rosie were curled up together on his left side- Fluer and Mil were on his right. Luna and Dean had taken over an armchair. She was sleeping in his lap. Dean was actually awake. Their eyes met, and they shared a small smile. Harry looked about the room a bit more. Tracey and Pansy were actually sharing a room upstairs- they were in such bad condition that Poppy had insisted they actually sleep in proper beds. Neville was by the fireplace, curled on his side, away from everyone else. Susan had taken one of the sofas, but she wasn't there.

Hermione and Ginny had shared the other sofa, and they weren't there either. He pushed his blankets aside, and got up. He stepped around some of the sleeping kids, and shuffled into the kitchen. He saw Ginny, Hermione, and Susan there, staring into their teacups.

"Hey." Harry murmured. The three girls looked up instantly. Hermione looked as though she hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night, and Susan didn't fare any better. Ginny looked as though she'd been crying.

"Are any of you hungry? I could cook something, if you like?" Harry asked, going to the stove. All three shook their heads, and Harry put the kettle on, expecting it.

"I...I'm sorry Harry, for...for not helping." Hermione said, her voice shaky. "As soon as I saw Daddy, just...everything fell apart. I didn't even help Dean..."

"It's okay." Harry murmured. "Completely understandable. I don't blame you, and I know Dean certainly doesn't. Now...why don't we fix some breakfast for the others- just because we're not really in the mood to eat, doesn't mean the others aren't. And I know Molly should get a break after yesterday."

The girls started to help Harry cook breakfast. It was halfway finished when Dean and Luna came into the kitchen, and started to help. Molly came down just as it was finished, with Arthur on her heels.

"Children, you really didn't need to do this..."

"Nonsense. Molly- why don't you get the others up, I'm sure Augusta will want some tea, at least. Ginny, why don't you wake the others in the sitting room? Luna, why don't you look in on Tracey and Pansy, and then wake Ron and the Twins." Harry delegated.

Luna skipped up the stairs, while Ginny left to wake the others. Soon, the table was being filled with sleepy teenagers and children, although none of them ate with gusto.

It was this scene in which Remus and Sirius entered the kitchen, along with an exhausted Tonks. "Wotcher, Harry. Looks like we've got quite the breakfast here."

"Take a seat, Tonks, if you can find one."

Sirius and Remus poured themselves some tea, standing in the corner as they watched the kids. Luna came back downstairs with Ron and the twins, who sat down to eat in silence.

"Tracey and Pansy are awake, but not feeling very hungry. I managed to convince them to have a bit of toast and tea..."

"That's fine. Hermione, Susan, would you like to go with Luna and keep the girls company? I'm sure they don't want to be alone right now..." Harry murmured.

Mil and Fleur finally shuffled into the kitchen. Even exhausted and half awake, Fleur looked as pretty as ever. Damn veela genes, Harry thought enviously. He served them breakfast, and Molly came down.

"Augusta will be down in a moment." Molly murmured, looking strained. "Harry, why don't you sit down, you need to eat too."

Harry did just that, sitting at the only seat left open, at the head of the table. Harry poured himself some tea. Just as he was about to grab a bit of toast, Dumbledore flooed through, stopping short at the scene before him.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Thomas, Miss Bulstrode, would you please come with me into the other room?" The man said gravely. The entire table went silent.

"What happened?" Rosie asked, looking worried. "Someone else isn't dead, are they?"

Dumbledore didn't answer her. "Harry?"

Harry sighed, looking down at his empty plate. Well, he'd grab his tea. He picked up his teacup and stood, and Millie and Dean followed. The three of them followed the Headmaster inside the sitting room. The floor was still littered with sleeping bags.

"I thought it was best to talk to you three separately first, since the three of you were heavily...involved yesterday. Miss Bulstrode...your eldest brother, Lord Jeffrey Bulstrode, was found dead an hour ago, in Knockturne Alley. Will your family need to be transported to a safe house?"

Milllie stared. "...How? How did he die? I was so sure that they'd side with..."

"From the report I read, he had a broken neck, twisted. He died instantly, with little pain. I'm sorry about your-"

"Oh Merlin." Mil gasped, and swayed. Both Harry and Dean steadied her. The two boys exchanged a look.

"I know that isn't Voldemort's typical execution style, but...I feel after yesterday, the Dark Lord may have been angry with his followers."

Mil closed her eyes, looking pale. "I...I need to go." She looked as though she was going to cry any minute. Harry grabbed her by the arm, keeping her from leaving.

"Mil, don't leave the house. Just...go up to my room, okay? We'll be there soon."

She gave him a tearful nod, and sped out.

"I do not like to be the bearer of such news, but it had to be done." Dumbledore said quietly, with no twinkle in his eye. "It is a time of war, and such things happen. I was at the Ministry all night, in an emergency session of the Wizengamot. With Amelia's death, Rufus Scrimengour has replaced her as Head of the DMLE."

"...They believe us now, right sir?" Harry asked, hoping that Fudge and his sycophants would finally open their eyes.

Dumbledore frowned. "No. I believe they worded Amelia's death as a...burglary gone wrong. They did not acknowledge the other attacks."

Dean muttered a few choice words. "I can't fucking believe them."

Dumbledore glanced back to the kitchen, choosing not to comment on Dean's language. "The Longbottom property is being put under the Fidelis as we speak. We are going to be holding an Order meeting this evening, after some of our members have gotten a proper rest. I need you three to look after the children during the meeting."

"We're not going to be in the meeting, then?" Dean said, frowning.

"I will update you myself with what occurred in the meeting. Please, give Miss Granger and Miss Bones my condolences. I must be going-" The Headmaster headed out.

Harry spoke up, calling after him. "What do you suggest we do for all of these kids who don't have anywhere else to go?"

Dumbledore paused by the door. "I will speak to Augusta about opening her home. While we can house some of them here, we do not have room for them all." He murmured. "Oh...and Harry, I will be speaking to you and Mr. Thomas about those weapons you have."

And then he left.

Harry and Dean exchanged a look. A moment later, they were going up the stairs, and going to Harry's room. Mil was curled up on Harry's bed, crying her eyes out.

"Shh...Mil..." Harry hugged her tightly. "Everything will be alright..."

"I killed my own brother, Harry!" Millie screamed. "Everything is not alright!"

Dean sat on her other side. Consoling had never really been his thing- that was Harry's forte. "Mil...you didn't know it was him. He was wearing a mask, his voice could have been muffled...I don't know, it's just...he was a deatheater, and he was hurting Tracey. You just did what you had to do to get out of there. If...if you hadn't done that, not only would you have been killed, but we would have lost Tracey too."

x-x-x

Order members streamed in for the meeting that evening. It had been an exhausting day. Hermione contacted the other muggleborn and halfblood members by using a payphone that was two houses over- Tonks escorted her. They found out that the rest of them were safe and sound, hadn't heard a thing. They were contacted by Hannah, with a letter, and she said that her family was doing alright- scared, but alright. They were with relatives, and Hannah would see them again when term started.

Pansy and Tracey ended up making their way downstairs, so that they could be with the others while the Order meeting was going on. Both of them were quiet and kept to themselves mostly, trying to show a stiff upper lip for the younger girls. Millie was quiet too, and Harry could tell that she was shaken, but she was doing her best to keep preoccupied.

Harry and Dean stood in the doorway of the sitting room, watching the Order members go into the kitchen. Severus caught Harry's eye as he passed. Harry gave him a small smile, knowing that they wouldn't be able to talk privately any time soon- he just wished he and Severus could just...go away, and forget about everyone else. But it just wasn't possible.

Sirius approached them, carrying a tray of sandwiches and drinks. "Here. You guys need anything else?"

"Will you come by later tonight and let us know what was said?" Dean murmured, as Harry took the tray from Sirius.

"Of course. We'll hold our own pow wow as soon as possible. Anything you want me to bring up?"

Harry bit his lip. "Dumbledore's most likely going to ask you guys to watch us. He's already mentioned our weapons...what will you say?"

"That I don't have anything to do with it, but you lot should be able to protect yourselves if needed." Sirius glanced over his shoulder. Everyone was nearly inside. "Look, I'll try to speak up for you guys, but you know how Dumbledore is. I hope you guys hid..."

"Of course. See you later." Harry whispered, just as Dumbledore entered the foyer, looking at Sirius expectantly.

"Sirius? Are you joining us?"

"Uh, yeah. Just checking in with the kids." And he followed Dumbledore inside. As soon as the door closed, several wards went up, and there was no way that they could listen in on the meeting.

Harry and Dean entered the room, closing the door behind him. They put up a proximity charm, in case anyone stopped by to check in on them. The twins were showcasing some of the newest stuff that they'd invented, trying to get people to cheer up.

"I have dinner everyone- hope you like sandwiches!" Harry said brightly, and passed the tray around.

Dean sat down on the sofa, and Luna climbed into his lap. Harry sat down next to Millie on the floor. Everyone who was underage in this room- and coincidentally, Ron was the only one there who wasn't a member of the AKDA.

"We should have a meeting, just like they are." Astoria said.

Harry gave her a Look, and glanced Ron's way. Ron was talking quietly with Neville in the corner, already munching on his sandwich.

The girl looked a bit guilty at this. "Sorry." She whispered.

Harry shook his head, and Ginny cleared her throat. "I do think we need to talk, though. All of us, I mean. About what we need to do next."

"We take the Deatheaters out-"

"Of course." The twin concluded.

"You're talking about killing them?" Ron squeaked, after finishing off his sandwich.

Dean spoke up, looking grave. "I killed one of them yesterday, and Mil killed the other one. Harry killed one at the final task. We've killed before. We had to. They were going to kill us if we didn't. We don't like doing it, but it has to be done."

"He's right." Tracey said quietly. "Those...those men could hurt other people, kill lots more, if we don't stop them now."

"But...killing? It sounds so...dark, to me." Ron said, looking a bit nervous at this.

Hermione spoke up, looking tearful. "Ron, they killed my parents. They would have killed me too, if I'd been there. We have to do something. V-Voldemort's only going to get stronger if we don't stop him."

Harry cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "So. This is what we will do. We will continue our training, and we will continue to recruit. And Ron? I'd like for you to join us. You'll be a bit behind the others, but I do think we could use a pair of extra hands."

"...Join...you? What..." Ron looked around quickly at the group, adding things together. "What are you, a sort of Jr. Order? Why didn't you guys tell me before? Who else is in this group?"

"Ron, we wanted to tell you, we really did, but we weren't sure if you'd be up to it." Neville explained hastily. "It's a lot of work. We spend hours each week practicing and training."

Ron looked to his siblings. "So that's where you lot kept disappearing to! I can't believe you didn't tell me-" He looked angry at this, and he turned to Harry. "Of course I'll join. Merlin's pants! Who's in charge?"

Everyone pointed to Harry instantly, and Harry sighed.

Ron looked a bit nervous at this. "You?"

Harry looked down. "Well, technically, yes, but Dean and Mil do most of the ordering around. If people can't agree on things, that's when I step in. Or in big emergencies, like yesterday."

Ron looked at Dean and Mil, frowning. "So your best friend and your girlfriend are your second in command? Don't you think that's a little biased?" He looked around at the rest of the group.

"They're our best duelists." Pansy pointed out.

"So...is this everyone?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Before we tell you any more, you'll need to take a vow."

"A vow? What sort of vow? Like...an unbreakable one?" Ron squeaked.

Harry glanced at Dean, who took out his dagger. Ron stood at this, looking alarmed. "What do you need that for?"

"The vow, Ron." Dean sighed. "Look, this is really important. We can't tell you any more unless you take the vow. It's irreversible, and if you break it, you'll lose your magic and die. That's how important it is."

Ron stared at the dagger with wide eyes. "I...I don't know..."

"Ron, don't be such a baby." Ginny hissed, eyes narrowing. "Even _I've_ done it!"

Ron scowled. Perhaps that hadn't been the best thing to say to him. Still, he came forward, and took the vow.

x-x-x

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, there was another meeting taking place. It had quickly degraded into a full out argument about what should have happened the previous day, and how their warning system had completely failed. After all, they had been expecting Voldemort to attack well known Light sided families, or public places, rather than target darker pureblood familes.

"Shut the fuck up!" Moody roared, making everyone go silent. Dumbledore sat by his side, looking as calm as ever. McGonagall looked a bit scandalized at Moody's language, but didn't say a thing.

"Now." Moody growled. "It's obvious why Voldemort targeted those girls specifically. Notice that the Deatheaters did not get into an altercation with the families- they just wanted the girls. Why? Because they are well known friends of Potter's. Because they are easily accessible, considering their own families probably have connections to Voldemort. It is likely that they were approached for recruitment."

"Recruitment, but they're just teenage girls..." Someone spoke up.

"But they probably have information, information that the Deatheaters would need. Also, you know how that lot is- they see a pretty girl, they either rape her, or marry her off. Pureblood witches from families like that cave pretty easily, especially at that age. What we need to know is what the girls know, and what they could have possibly told their captors."

Augusta spoke up. "After Miss Parkinson came to us, she reassured Neville that she didn't say anything, even after her...even after she was hurt. She only managed to get away because she was somehow able to access our floo, which only Neville could have told her the address to ahead of time."

"Sounds like they prepared beforehand, in case of trouble." Moody grunted, stating what a few members were thinking.

"After I talked to Tracey, she told me that she didn't say a thing to the deatheaters." Tonks said, looking proud of the girl, but also sad. "Even when they tortured her under the cruciatus and r-raped her. These girls were very strong. Not many would have been able to hold up like they did."

"Which makes me wonder what they know." Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully.

Everyone either looked disbelieving, or thoughtful.

Dumbledore continued. "It is clear that the children had made preparations in case of attacks. They all had a way to contact one another, and acted quickly. While that is good, there is also the fact that not only did Mr. Thomas and Mr. Potter have weapons on their person, I believe Miss Bulstrode killed for the first time yesterday while they were at Malfoy Manor. I do not know exactly what happened, but she was rather shaken when they returned. I also believe that Mr. Thomas was the one who killed the bound deatheater at the Granger residence, after looking at the reports."

Everyone gasped.

"No...Dean didn't do that." Tonks said, shaking her head. "That deatheater poisoned himself!"

"They're just children." Mrs. Weasley whispered, looking tearful.

"We have a problem." Dumbledore said, leaning forward, weaving his fingers together. "These children are becoming increasingly aggressive and paranoid. I think that it will only continue to get worse. We need to keep them out of this as much as possible. After all, Miss Bulstrode comes from a dark family, and Mr. Potter and Mr. Thomas did live with the Malfoys at some point. I think that could have affected their psyche."

"What are you saying, are you saying that you think that they're going Dark?" Shack asked calmly. Nearly everyone else at the table were looking panicked and nervous. There were a few exceptions to this, like the Aurors, and Xeno, who hadn't said a word during the entire meeting. There were a few who were even angry, like Fleur.

"This is ridiculous." Fleur stated, mouth pursing. "Mil, Dean, and 'arry only want to 'elp. They are good people, good duelists. I say we let them 'elp if they want to."

Dumbledore ignored her statement. "Moody, Shacklebolt, Tonks, you trained the children briefly in hand-to-hand one afternoon to test their skills. How did they fare?"

Moody crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. Thomas and Bulstrode did well, as did Miss Weasley and the twins. Potter was good, but Ron was very poor. He was clearly not trained."

"And the others were?" Dumbledore asked immediately.

Tonks spoke up. "We think so. I mean, Harry and Dean said that they'd been practicing on their own since first year. Maybe they taught the others what they knew."

"I see. I think we need to nip this in the bud, and quickly. I will not have another Tom Riddle on my hands." Dumbledore said, looking grave. "Moody, I want you to search Potter's room tonight- Shack, I want you to search Dean's. Does anyone have access to Miss Bulstrode's home? Fleur, you're staying with her, correct? Could you search her home for any contraband, weapons-"

"No." Fleur said, looking furious. "Mil has been nothing but kind to me, and we 'ave become good friends. I refuse."

"I am not asking, Miss Delacour, I am Ordering." Dumbledore said.

Moody spoke up. "Look, Albus, we're not here to babysit kids. Even if we did search their rooms, do you think we would find anything? They know that they're being watched, if they had anything to hide, they certainly wouldn't hide it here at the house."

"They have to have access to their weapons somehow. They're there." Dumbledore murmured.

"I think it's a good thing that they were prepared." Sirius said, getting a bit angry. "You can't just ignore their privacy like that!"

"If none of you will search their rooms, then I will." Dumbledore murmured. Some people looked very upset at this, while others looked as though they approved at the action.

"I will be happy to help, Headmaster. I don't think the boys should have such things in their rooms- it could be dangerous." Molly said. Arthur clearly didn't agree with her, but they would talk about this later.

"We also need to find out what they know, and how they were able to contact each other...and how many friends they have, exactly. Sirius, Remus, you knew who to go to yesterday?"

Sirius and Remus shook their heads. Remus spoke up cautiously. "We're not betraying Harry's trust. There's a reason why people don't know everything- it's a security risk."

"...Are you saying that Mr. Potter thinks _I_ am a security risk?" Albus asked with wide eyes.

"No. Just...having everything out in the open." Sirius amended. "They're paranoid, and for a good reason. Not only did they have two of their defense professors attack them, but Harry's life was at risk all last year because of that stupid tournament. Because of that paranoia, they're still around, and so are their friends."

Remus spoke up. "I think the only reason why Miss Abbott and her family and Miss Bones are still alive today is because of what Harry and the others taught them, and the preparations that they made. I think that anything keeps these children alive is a good thing."

Everyone got quiet for a moment.

"It looks as though we've come to an impasse." Dumbledore said quietly. "Those of you believe that Mr. Potter and Mr. Thomas are doing what is right...have been fooled. I watched them yesterday- these boys are more dangerous than all of you have been led to believe."

"What, because they have weapons?" Fleur asked sarcastically. She knew the truth, but she wasn't about to say a thing.

Dumbledore stood. "No. Not just because of that. Not only are they willing to kill, they have already done it. Mr. Potter, after all, killed for the first time back in his first year. And in his second, he stabbed Lockhart, and the man would have bled to death if it wasn't for me. In addition to these skills, what makes them most dangerous of all is the loyalty that they inspire in others."

He looked to Fleur as he said this, then to Sirius and Remus.

"Perhaps...people should think about where their loyalties lie. If it goes any further, I fear Mr. Potter will be lost to the Light forever, and he will take many with him."

Everyone stared at Dumbledore with wide eyes. Some knew the truth. Some did not. Many were disbelieving, in denial.

After all...Harry Potter was the Boy Who Lived. What hope did they have if he was lost?

Dumbledore turned to Severus. "Severus, as the Boy's Head of House, I implore you to speak to Mr. Potter. He clearly trusts you, and-"

"He trusts me for a reason, Headmaster." Severus murmured. "I never disclose any of my Slytherin's private information. You know that."

"But Severus, we need to know-"

Severus's eyes darkened. "No. What you need to know is that Mr. Potter is the way he is because of _you_."

"Because of me?"

"Yes. After all, you were the one who sent him to live with the muggles that abandoned him at an orphanage. You were the one who never checked up on him as a child, when he was passed around from Foster family to Foster family. You were the one that deliberately ignored the fact that your Defense Professor had been possessed by the Dark Lord, causing him to attack two little boys that had a hard life to begin with. Shall I go on?" The man drawled.

"I-"

Severus stood, looking fierce. "I've had enough, Albus, of your lies and your manipulations. I do not like what you are insinuating one bit. After all, I am one of these so-called Dark wizards that you fear, and yet, here I am, doing what I can to kill the Dark Lord."

"You...you trained him." Albus realized.

"Someone had to!" Severus roared. Everyone looked a bit fearful at this. "The child was taken from one bad situation into another, completely at a loss to how to cope with his fame and influence. Not only that, he had a prophecy hanging over his head, and wizards wanting to avenge their master at every corner!"

"He knows the Prophecy?" Dumbledore croaked.

"What prophecy?" Someone whispered in the background.

"Yessss." Severus hissed, eyes flashing. "You would have never told him, would you? There is a reason why Mr. Potter has been preparing all this time- there is a reason why he has been working so hard to prepare his friends. He knew that war was coming, and so did you, and yet you did nothing to help him. And you wonder why he doesn't trust you!"

Severus looked around at the table. People's mouths were dropped open in shock. They had never seen Severus speak so much before, and never had they seen him like this.

"And I don't trust you either, to be honest. Not after everything that I've seen, not after everything that boy's gone through. And you know the real reason why I didn't spy for you?"

"...why?" Dumbledore asked, sinking into his seat, fearing the worst.

"Because Harry asked me not to. He just...asked. He didn't Order. He didn't need to. He knew that I would be needed to support our House, because he feared what would happen if Voldemort did start attacking the darker pureblood families. You forget, Albus, not all Dark wizards support the Dark Lord. You forget, that there are innocent children within Slytherin house, and you write them off as future dark wizards. I support them, because no one else will. Harry saw this, and he understood. If I am dead, where would these children turn to?"

Severus straightened up, tugging at his robe. "So, no. I will not betray Harry's trust. I've taken a good hard look at my loyalties, and I think you should too, before you lose everything. Excuse me."

And then he left.

The room was dead silent. Some were just in shock, while others seriously considered Severus' words.

x-x-x

Let's get everything out in the open shall we? Lol. I hope you guys liked Bad-ass Snape as much as I did. Thanks for reading, everyone. Please review.


	45. Chapter 45

Love In the Dark

* * *

Wow...you guys really liked bad-ass Snape. If I had a dollar for every fan-girl squeal I caused with that last chapter, I'd be very rich. XD

Alright, so to reward you all, there will be smexiness and awesomeness. Thanks for all of your great reviews, and keep it up!

x-x-x

Something had changed. Grimmauld Place had changed after that night- Harry could tell. People were treating him differently, looking at him differently, and he didn't know whether it was good or bad. The gang went their separate ways after the Longbottom Manor raised their fidelis. Pansy, Tracey, Susan, and Hermione went there, while Daphne, Astoria, Luna, and Rosie stayed at HQ. A Fidelis was raised at the Rookery, but it was in no shape for habitation just yet, because of the fire.

Sirius and Remus had told Harry how Severus had told Dumbledore off, and how the Order was slowly disintegrating because of it. No one left _officially_, but there was clearly some contention. What really set things off was Harry sneaking out. He had to get away- he couldn't stand all the stares and the whispering when Order members looked his way. It became clear rather quickly that some people, like Remus, Sirius, and Fleur, definitely supported Harry, while others were a bit quiet about their support, like Shack and Tonks. Moody didn't say openly either way, but Harry got the impression that the man approved of their readiness. Severus still continued to go to meetings, but he spent most of his time at HQ talking to Harry and the kids when he saw them.

Harry grabbed Severus that night after a late night Order meeting, and gave him puppy eyes, begging him to take him away for a little while. Severus relented, and Harry went to go grab his bag. They apparated away not two minutes later, before anyone else realized that Harry was gone.

They reappeared in Severus' sitting room. Harry dropped his overnight bag to the floor, and Severus shoved him up against the nearest bookshelf, kissing him hard. Harry gasped as he was picked up. He quickly wrapped his legs around Severus' waist. Harry was carried up the stairs, and they arrived to Severus' sad looking bedroom. Harry was dropped on the bed, and he landed with an excited grin.

Severus was scrambling out of his clothes, while Harry did the same, eager to get to it. Their clothes were thrown to the floor, and Severus climbed on top of Harry, kissing him hard. Hands stroked skin, kisses pressed against necks, wrists, everywhere they could reach. Severus hadn't even finished preparing Harry before the boy was begging him for it.

Severus slid inside Harry, watching the boy hiss at the intrusion, eyes brighter than they had been all summer.

"Fuck...Sev...oh GOD, fuck me!" Harry cried.

Severus thrust in and out of his lover, hips quickening. He grabbed Harry's legs, behind his knees, pushing them up. Harry gasped at the different angle, eyes shutting tight. The narrow windows of his bedroom shook in their frames, making a rattling noise. Several of Severus' books levitated slightly from where they sat, and dropped to the floor. A candle ignited, and quickly burned down to the wick.

"Fuck...right there!" Harry threw back his head, gasping. "Fuck...feels so good...wanted you so bad..."

Harry was always very vocal. Severus liked that about him. Severus reached up, grabbing Harry's hair, yanking on it. Harry hissed, turning his head with the movement. "Harder!" Harry screamed.

Severus leant back, grabbing Harry's hips, practically lifting him up with the force of his thrusts. They slowly made their way across the bed, blankets and sheets ruffling up and off the bed, onto the floor. It was a hot and sweaty mess, and they didn't care how loud they were, because they were alone, FINALLY alone.

Severus came hard, filling up his lover, feeling exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. Harry panted, a wide grin on his face. His throat felt raw, and his arse burned, and he felt so dirty...it was perfect.

"Fuck, that was good." Severus muttered into Harry's neck, laying on top of him. He didn't want to pull out just yet. They'd have another go soon enough.

"Yeah." Harry panted. He reached up, stroking Severus' hair with a sigh. "Missed you."

"Missed you too." Their eyes met, and Harry gave the man a soft smile.

"Can I just stay here for the rest of the holidays?"

"Afraid not, pet."

Harry pouted at this. "It's a good thing you're so good looking. I wish we could go out and do something...not that I'm complaining about the shagging, but...I wish we could go dancing, or maybe shopping or something." Harry groaned in frustration.

"We'll do all of those things, we will. When the war is over."

"Yeah. When the war is over." Harry said with a slight frown. He glanced down at their bodies, his frown replaced with a smile. "Fancy another go?"

Neither of them got to sleep that night. The sun was just rising when they called it quits, and were cleaning up in the bath. Harry sighed, head leaning forward as Severus washed his back.

"Feels good." He said tiredly.

"You've got scratches."

"Yeah. Still feels good."

Severus chuckled, and Harry leant back in the man's embrace, grabbing his arm and wrapping it around his middle. Harry rest his head on Severus' shoulder, closing his eyes.

"This is nice."

A hand stroked his soaked hair, pulling it away from his face gently.

"Severus...what do you think life will be like...for us? After the war?"

"...I imagine it would be somewhat like this." Severus murmured quietly, making Harry smile.

"Not bad. Kind of funny, you know? Both of us are filthy rich, yet we're just...happy in this little place here. Together. You with your potions, and me with...well, whatever I'll do."

"And what do you see yourself doing, after the war?" Severus asked, stroking his bare shoulder, watching water drops form.

"...I guess...just being here with you. Making sure you eat properly when you're working on a project. Looking after you." Harry giggled. "Cooking for you. I think I'd make a right proper housewife, don't you?"

Severus sighed. "You don't want to do anything else with your life?"

Harry's smile faded. "I think that's ambitious enough, considering all the other expectations piled on me."

"...I suppose it is. Come on, let's get you back to HQ."

x-x-x

Mil laid in bed, staring at the young woman that laid next to her. Fleur was deep asleep, and probably wouldn't wake for a little while longer. The sun was rising, the light filtering in through the window. Fleur's blonde hair shone in the sunlight, like gold,and her pale skin glowed.

Mil thought she was beautiful, like a goddess, like one of the women in her paintings. She reached over, lightly stroking the woman's pink lips. They were both naked in her bed, and Mil still couldn't believe her luck, sometimes. Out of all the people in the world, Fleur was with her. Funny, she'd thought the same with Harry.

In addition to Fleur's physical beauty, she was kind, and smart. While Mil knew that they wouldn't be together forever, she'd take as long as she could get at this point. Fleur was the one who held her at night when she cried about her brother, about killing for the first time. Fleur offered her quiet, loving support, and Mil was very grateful to her. Harry and Dean both had enough to stress about, so Mil couldn't go to them every time she needed a hug- Fleur was there when she was needed.

She drew the blankets down slowly, revealing Fleur's beautiful body. She leant over, kissing her lover on the lips. Fleur groaned, reacting to her kiss.

"Good morning." Fleur said softly, opening her eyes.

"Morning." Mil said, sliding her hand over Fleur's breast, cupping her. Fleur smiled sleepily, moving a bit closer.

"Ah, you fancy a bit of play before I leave for work, no?" She asked huskily. "I had a very nice dream...you were in it. So was Bill."

Mil raised a brow. "Both of us?" Her hand slid lower, trailing over Fleur's flat stomach.

"Oh yes." The woman groaned, eyes fluttering closed as Millie's fingers brushed over her sex. "You both were kissing me, touching me at the same time. I was surrounded...overwhelmed. It was beautiful. Oh..." She gasped as Millie teased her clit with her fingers with light touches. "More..." She breathed.

Millie smiled. "Was I touching you like this?"

"Yes, Little Mistress." Fleur murmured her little pet name, one that usually had Millie blushing, but it turned her on even more that morning. Mil slowly pushed a finger into Fleur, wriggling it about.

"And what was Bill doing?" Yeah, guys didn't do anything for her, but he clearly did something for Fleur, as Mil could feel her cunt twitch at his name.

"Oh, I was sucking on his cock...hmm..." She licked her lips. Millie reached up, moving on top of Fleur, sticking a finger inside Fleur's mouth.

Millie watched, entranced, as Fleur sucked on her finger. She slid another finger into her lover, and began to thrust harder.

Fleur's mouth left her fingers, her head turning. "Fuck...Merlin...Little Mistress, that feels so good..." Fleur gasped, and Mil leant over her, grabbing those blonde locks of hers. Their eyes met, and Mil's grip tightened.

"Call me that again." Mil growled.

Fleur's eyes darkened with lust. "Little Mistress?" She breathed. "Or are you more grown up now?" She asked, a wonton smile curling about her lips. She let out another groan as Mil's grip tightened on her hair, and she changed the angle of her fingers.

"Yes...do it." Mil whispered heatedly, feeling hot and warm all over. She wanted to hear Fleur say it.

"Mistress..." Fleur panted. Mil's hand left Fleur's hair, sliding to her neck. The girl gasped as Mil's fingers wrapped around, tightening their grip.

Fleur's breathing shortened, her mouth dropping open, gasping for air. Mil's hand quickened down below, and she watched Fleur's face, mesmerized.  
This was a powerful feeling- she was in complete control. Fleur arched up into her hand, and Mil could feel her cunt twitching with her orgasm, cumming all over her hand.

Mil let go of her neck, grabbing her by the hair, and rolled onto her back. She shoved Fleur down, pushing the blonde's face into her cunt. Mil gasped as the other girl began to eat her out, panting 'Mistress' over and over, like a girl possessed.

x-x-x

Harry and Mil walked into HQ coincidentally at one right after the other, through the floo. Breakfast was fully underway- the table was jam packed full of the Weasley kids, Astoria, Daphne, Luna, and Rosie. The kids began to giggle at the sight of them- they clearly had both been shagged pretty thoroughly. The twins started to laugh outright, while Remus quickly hid a smile behind his cup of tea, and Sirius went a little green.

Molly put her hands on her hips. "And just where have you two been?"

"Out." They said in unison, grinning widely.

Dean shuffled in, looking half awake, pausing to look at his friends, and then at everyone else. "What's goin' on?"

Luna chirped up from her place. "Harry and Mil just got in."

Dean chuckled at this, fixing himself a plate.

"Let it go, Molly..." Remus murmured, trying to keep from laughing.

"No! Miss Bulstrode, you're supposed to be setting an example for the younger girls, and what do you do? Are you even being safe? At this rate, you'll become a scarlet woman, and-"

Harry tried to keep from laughing, he really did, but it wasn't working all that well.

"Scarlet woman?" Mil asked, visibly confused. "What the...Molly, Harry and I didn't do anything together."

"Oh? Then where were you then?" Molly queried, challenging the girl.

"I was at home, sleeping. In fact, I just woke up a little while ago." She ran hand through her mussed hair.

"Had a good dream, then?" Fred asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Molly turned her glare at Harry. "And you? Where were you?"

Harry just grinned. "In Mil's dream?"

He grabbed Millie by the wrist. "Look, we'd love to stay and chat, but we've got a lot to do today, and-"

"Oh no!" Molly yelled, her voice approaching screeching level. Her children grimaced, recognizing the tone. "You two are grounded! Harry, you should have never left Grimmauld Place in the first place! Miss Bulstrode, I have the mind to block your floo from this house, and-"

"What? You can't do that!" Harry yelled, now getting angry.

Sirius spoke up. "Molly, Mil is Harry's friend. I don't think that is a good idea."

Molly glowered at Sirius, and turned back to Harry and Millie. "Harry, you're going to clean out your room today, and you won't be allowed to be with your..._friends_ until you are finished. Who knows how much laundry is piled up there and whatnot, since you won't let me-"

"I do my own laundry." Harry said shortly. "And I don't let you into my room for a reason, Mrs. Weasley. Mil, let's go back to your place."

They turned towards the floo. Dean scrambled up. "I'm coming too!"

"Dean Thomas, if you leave right now, I'll-" She was cut off by the sound of the floo, and the three friends were gone.

Rosie piped up from her place at the table. "Well...that was fun."

Molly whirled around, looking furious. "You girls shouldn't look up to Miss Bulstrode as a role model- she's Dark, and I bet she's not even bothering to be safe when she and Harry-"

"I thought they weren't together, but only just pretending." Astoria said, looking confused. "Aren't they gay?"

Everyone's eyes widened at this, and the twin fell off their chairs, laughing. Remus and Sirius shared a grin at this, while Ron looked completely shocked. Ginny and Daphne looked as though they'd already figured it out.

Molly drew herself up. "Sirius, Remus, it's...it's your influence! Looking at you, the kids thought-"

"Now wait just a second!" Sirius yelled, standing up. "Harry was gay long before I met him! Moony and I have nothing to do with this!"

Molly growled in frustration, and left the room. The group sat in the kitchen for a moment, realizing what had just occurred.

"So...how long did you lot know?" Fred asked Astoria and the girls.

"Since we met them." Rosie piped up. "It was sort of obvious."

Ginny blushed for some reason. "I figured it out when Harry visited the Burrow for the first time." She said quietly.

Daphne giggled a bit. "I sort of always knew that they were a bit different, but...I understand why they thought they had to hide. What do you really think they were doing?" Everyone finally got it out, what they had been thinking for ages. Sure, Harry and MIl might be gay, but that didn't make them respect their friends any less. Well...Ron was still a little confused about it all.

They heard a great big crash out in the foyer, and as one, everyone rose from their seats and scrambled into the foyer. On the floor looked like a bag full of weapons, and another bag full of broken vials. Another bag was thrown over the banister, it landed with a heavy thud- it was full of books.

"Molly! What on earth are you doing!" Sirius yelled, running up the stairs.

"I'm getting rid of Harry's dark magic artifacts!" She yelled back.

Remus studied some of the items. "Molly, these are healing potions, and these books are all_ legal_..."

All the kids looked on as Remus ran up the stairs as well, trying to keep Molly from destroying anything else.

"I'm going to get Mil, Harry, and Dean." Daphne whispered, and ran to the kitchen to use the floo.

x-x-x

Later that evening, Molly and the Weasleys were no longer staying at HQ, and the Order had officially split up.

The Order met up that evening, their last official meeting, in the crammed kitchen of the Burrow. Dumbledore looked very grave, watching on as everyone argued with each other.

"Enough!" Fleur screamed. "I 'ave had enough! I did not join the Order to argue with this... 'arpy!" She pointed at Molly. "I am leaving! I will be joining 'arry, at least I know he won't intrude on my privacy!" And she left. Sirius and Remus had never shown up to the Burrow, clearly showing whose side they were on. Augusta and Xeno, some of their newest members, were not there either. Severus was no where to be seen, of course.

Tonks looked a bit tearful, standing up as well. "I can't do this. I...I joined the Order hoping that we could really make a difference against You-Know-Who and his lot, but it just looks like we're fighting each other." She looked to Moody and Shack. "I'm sorry." She whispered, apologizing to her mentor and coworker. She left as well.

Shack and Moody exchanged a look, deciding then that they would stay, but only to get information. They remained where they sat. McGonagall looked terribly upset, as though she was ready to leave too, but she didn't. Albus was one of her oldest friends, her boss- she didn't agree with him on a lot of things, and she cared a great deal about the kids. Poppy sat next to her in silence, having long ago made up her mind about who she really supported.

Bill felt lost. He wanted to go back to Grimmauld Place desperately. He knew that if he didn't, whatever that had been happening between him and Fleur would fall to pieces. And...it was just wrong, what his Mum had done. He knew a fair bit of Dark Magic himself, after years of raiding old tombs. He stood, making a decision. "Mum, I'm sorry." He glanced to his Father, and the man gave him a sad, but understanding smile. Bill ignored his Mother's cries as he flooed out of the kitchen.

Albus stared at the rapidly shrinking group before him, wondering if what Severus had said was true. Perhaps he'd made a mistake. He looked over at Molly, dread filling his heart. A loving family had been split up today- he knew that the twins and Miss Weasley's loyalties laid with Potter and the others. That wasn't hard to see.

He looked about the table- some of his oldest supporters remained- Alastor, Hestia, Amos, Minerva. All good, strong witches and wizards. He'd just have to make do. He looked to Cedric, who looked a bit antsy. He'd reccommended the boy for Head Boy- illustrated by the badge that gleamed on his chest. He was a good lad, with a smart head on his shoulders, surely...

Cedric stood, and Albus felt his world crumble a bit more. "I'm sorry, sir. But...Harry's save my life. I can't just let it go that easy-"

"Son, think about what you're doing-" Amos hissed at his side.

Cedric's eyes hardened. "No, Father. I'm tired of doing everything you tell me to do. I'm tired of hiding behind you, of being your clone. I'm my own person. I love you Dad, but sometimes you're an asshole. The things I've heard you say about Harry these past couple of weeks are horrible." And Cedric headed for the floo.

"Cedric Diggory, if you don't get back here right now, I'll...I'll...disown you!"

Cedric kept walking.

x-x-x

Everyone was quiet on the Hogwarts express. It had been a long, but busy summer. Hannah was happy to be joined with the others, and stories were traded quietly. The lines had been drawn, and things had changed once more. But time went on, and things would always be changing, and yet...they still remained the same.

Hermione and Ron bickered over summer assignments, while Luna was cuddling in Dean's lap. Dean was staring out the window, watching the countryside whiz by, while Harry led a group, greeting all the students, determining who thought Harry was still mad, and who thought he was sane.

Draco and the Slytherin boys gathered in the next compartment over, biding their time until they could talk to Harry privately, once they were in the dorms.

Susan was the last of the Bones, and had been Emancipated by the Ministry. She now had access to the Bones Estate, which was a bit surreal. Normally, she wouldn't have access until she married, but things had changed. Fudge was determined to keep things quiet, and was doing all that he could to keep Voldemort and his followers out of the papers.

The Minister wouldn't be around too much longer, they were sure of that.

Cedric, and the girls like Tracey and Pansy, who'd been abandoned by their families, were now being helped out by those who had a bit of money, like Harry and Sirius. Hermione had money, plenty, in the muggle world, but it wouldn't do much good here in the wizarding. At Harry's advice, she kept her money in a muggle account, and he and Sirius helped her to start investing it. After all, she wasn't going to be spending much of it while she was in school, and she would need money once she was finished.

With the money markets as they were, Hermione was more likely to make money in the muggle world in the magical one. After all, not many businesses would accept investment money from a muggleborn witch.

Fleur and Mil parted ways that morning- Fleur would stay at Millie's home, looking after it while she was away. They both knew that their summer romance had come to a temporary end. Fleur had been right- Mil had learned quite a bit with her. It showed in how she held herself. She moved and acted differently, and many people paid attention to her more- boys and girls alike turned their heads as she passed.

They were now entering their fifth year of Hogwarts, their OWL year. It would be a very important year for all of them, not just in the academic sense.

x-x-x

Thanks for reading guys. I think I wrote this chapter like four times, trying to figure out how to let things play out. Like it? Hate it? Let me know. Also, if you have any questions about particular characters and things, let me know. Your reviews help me a lot. Thanks


	46. Chapter 46

Love In the Dark

* * *

Wow, there was definitely some Molly Weasley bashing in your reviews. :D

Alright, so some of you asked a lot of questions about what's going on with Draco and the guys...also, Umbitch *cough* makes her first appearance. XD

x-x-x

Harry left the Great Hall, following Pansy and Millie, lost in thought. He was surrounded by the girls, and his thoughts were lingering on their new Defense Professor. Dolores Jane Umbridge. He'd heard all sorts of stories about her, and she was not a very good woman. Harry had no idea what Dumbeldore was thinking when he hired her. She was clearly one of Fudge's sycophants. And she dressed horribly as well.

Draco and Pansy led the first years to the Slytherin dorms, and Harry held back, watching everyone file into the common room. He could tell that people were lingering behind, many of them looking towards him expectantly. Ah. He made his way to the front of the common room, by the fireplace. The older students settled into their seats, many looking worried or nervous, while the younger students were clearly curious.

Then Severus came into the common room, looking grave. He stopped short, seeing Harry standing there, and Harry smiled. Severus approached Harry, and the two of them faced the Slytherins together.

"All of you have been hearing the stories and rumors this summer, about the Dark Lord." Severus began. "Fudge is saying that Mr. Potter here, and the Headmaster are lying. They are not. I know for a fact that some of you've seen the proof the the Dark Lord's return with your own eyes."

Harry noticed that several in particular looked anxious at this. Severus probably noticed this as well.

"We are here to tell you that there is another way out. The Dark Lord has gone mad, his mission has been lost. He treats his followers like the lowliest of House Elves, and punishes them and their families cruelly whenever they disobey. Some of you may have heard that several families were approached this summer, and attacked, or threatened."

There were nods at this.

"All of us here know that the Ministry is failing. And Albus Dumbledore is blind to us and our problems. So what do Slytherins do when we have a problem?"

Rosie waved her hand about erratically, bouncing in place.

"Yes, Miss Zeller?"

"We solve it ourselves!"

"Correct. Five points to Slytherin. Now, we-" He motioned to himself and Harry. "Are here to offer another option. If you join, we will offer you protection for not only you, but your families as well. All that we ask for is your support."

Tracey stood nervously. "Harry and his friends saved me this summer. My own Father handed me over to the Dark Lord, so he wouldn't hurt the rest of our family. I was tortured and beaten for hours, just because I wouldn't join Him. He had his followers r-rape me because I wouldn't give them information. Harry and his friends risked their lives to save me. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today." She whispered, and sat back down again.

Many of the girls in the room looked horrified at Tracey's story. Pansy hugged Tracey tightly when the girl sat down.

Draco stood nervously, making others look at him. He approached Harry and Severus, and turned to face the group. "Those of you here who were approached by the Dark Lord this summer, know that I am the Leader of the team he assigned to spy and recruit here at the school. I, for one, am not following a madman and bowing to his every need. You'll need to take a vow, to prove your loyalty, but they will never, ever Order you to do something you really don't want to do. Does anyone else care to join me in our cause?"

Harry smiled at this, watching every single one of their year mates stand, and slowly, very slowly, everyone else in the common room stood.

And then it was Harry's time to speak. "Thank you all. Let's get started, shall we?" He asked, drawing out his dagger.

After all, Slytherins always choose the winning side. It was just in their nature.

x-x-x

The following morning, every single Slytherin student stood together as one unit. It was clear that something had changed. No one publicly recognized Harry as their leader, but it was obvious to anyone who looked closely.

The first evening after classes, the core group of the AKDA met up. With all the new Slytherin members, there was going to have to be a bit of re-organization. Especially now that Dumbledore was watching them very carefully. And Umbridge. Rosie and Astoria had her that day in class, and promptly told the others what they thought.

"She's ugly!" "She's smells." "And her book is stupid!" "She doesn't want us to cast any spells!"

Harry sighed. "Well, then. I see we're going to have our work cut out for us." He said serenely. He looked to the gathered group that sat in the training room. "Alright, so to keep people's suspicions away, this is what we are going to do. We're going to have to meet up separately. Each team will be in charge of training whoever is in their House. You guys will decide amongst yourselves who should be leader of the team and whatnot. If you want, have a separate leader for a healing team. By breaking our group down into smaller groups, we'll be less noticeable this way."

"But we'll still meet up, right?" Ginny asked worriedly. "I mean, I like training with you guys."

Harry nodded. "The team leaders will still train with us. Because it will be a smaller group, we will be less noticeable this way. The team leader will then be responsible for teaching what they learned. Does everyone get it?"

People nodded. Harry pointed to himself, Dean, Millie, and Draco. "The four of us will be excluded- Draco will be head of all the healing teams, not just one of the groups."

Draco looked a bit nervous at this. After some debate, it was decided.

For the Gryffindors, Ginny and Neville would be the team leaders, while Hermione would lead the Gryffindor healing team. For the Hufflepuffs, Cedric and Susan would be team leaders, and Hannah would lead the Hufflepuff healing team. The Slytherins would be lead by Daphne and Tracey, and the healing team would be led by Pansy. They came to a problem when deciding about the Ravenclaws, however. Luna was the lone Ravenclaw amongst the core group, and not many in her House would listen to her.

Cedric recommended Cho, because she wasn't that bad of a duelist, and she was popular amongst the students. Of course, she happened to be his girlfriend as well. It was decided then that Luna and Cho would lead the Ravenclaws, and Padma would lead their healing team. Of course, they'd have to ask the two girls, to make sure.

They organized a schedule quickly, a 'la Hermione, and found that it would be best for the core group leaders to meet every two weeks in the training room, while people actually trained in the common rooms- that way, they wouldn't be spotted by staff members, and have warning in case any approached. After all, the common rooms were designed with security in mind, and only had one entrance each.

Harry hoped this would work. Having all of the students backing them up would help immensely, the sheer numbers that they would command would be much better than Voldemort had, right?

x-x-x

Albus Dumbledore stared at a prophecy orb that sat on a small pillow, glowing serenely. He could not touch it. It had taken him many years of research, and it had all led down to this. Staring at an old dusty sphere on a shelf, a recording of a prophecy that had been stated over a thousand years ago. Unable to touch something, hear something, that he was so sure that he was what the Prophecy had spoken of.

The Unspeakable at his side watched him carefully. "Headmaster, we must be going. The others will return soon."

"I know. I just wanted to see it. I was so sure that I..." The old man shook his head, looking thoughtful. "After living for so long, life still manages to surprise me. I am not the one this prophecy speaks of. Hmm. I have reason to believe that prophecy will come to pass very soon, however."

The Unspeakable shifted, his dark blue cloak covering him from head to toe. "Why do you think that?"

"The research that I've done. The things I've heard. I do not know the exact wording of the Prophecy, but I've seen enough evidence to suggest that it pertains to someone who is familiar with both the magical and mundane worlds, and is able to wield power in both..."

"Do you think there is a possible candidate for a Chosen One? We thought, at one time, it could have been Tom Riddle, but..."

The Headmaster shook his head. "No. I think it is another young man...with a very similar past to Riddle. But we shall see." He repeated this to himself, looking serenely at the glowing prophecy orb. "We shall see."

It gave him much to think about. If it was true... perhaps he'd made a very, very large mistake.

x-x-x

Harry stretched, arching his back. Severus chuckled beside him, running a hand over Harry's chest. "You're gaining a bit of muscle here. Must be all that training." Severus murmured, fingers lingering over a nipple.

Harry stuck his tongue out at his lover, and Severus leant over, kissing Harry. Their tongues slid together languidly as they exchanged a heated kiss. Severus pulled away, smirking at Harry's frazzled look.

"Don't you have class?"

"Ugh." Harry pouted, grabbing the pillow and bonking Severus over the head with it. "Don't remind me. I have to face Umbridge today. From what I've heard already, the others are calling her Umbitch for a very good reason. According to the rumors, Dumbledore was _forced_ to hire her. I almost feel sorry for him. _Almost_."

Severus did his best not to laugh openly, but he failed. Harry got up from the bed, and pulled his clothes on. Harry shimmied into his trousers with a coy smile. "I've been in your bed every night since term started."

"Hmm. So you have." Severus got up from the bed as well, getting his clothes out for the day.

"The others...in the AKDA...they know Mil and I really aren't together. They're...okay with us being gay. Who knew, right?"  
Harry laughed softly, sounding a bit relieved. "I thought they'd...you know, get weirded out, or lose respect for us."

Severus kissed the top of Harry's head. "Go off with you. Some of us have some work to do before breakfast."

Harry skipped out of the room with a cheeky grin.

x-x-x

Harry walked to defense class, listening to Pansy sharing a bit of gossip with Daphne. "Did you know, I heard that Bitch, Vania, got married off to this ugly old fart from Sweden this summer? Rachel, you know, the Ravenclaw, told me in charms yesterday." The two girls giggled at this, sounding a little bit malicious.

Harry thought it was karmic justice. He wondered if Vania would be happy. His thoughts then turned to Marcus and his...wife, and wondered how they were doing. Last he'd heard from Dean, Marcus was still over in Germany. It must have been a dangerous mission- he'd been gone for months now. Dean was faring quite a bit better with the whole 'hitwizard thing' as Harry called it, since Shack started helping him out. He didn't ask a lot of questions, not that Dean would have told him everything. He was just glad that Dean was doing a bit better, and wasn't coming back injured all the time.

Harry and the girls stopped short as they entered the Defense classroom. Harry almost threw up a little. The stone walls had been painted a pale pink, and there were...frills and bows everywhere. And Kittens. Now, he didn't mind a bit of fancy touches here and there, but seriously? This was overkill.

Harry exchanged a dark look with Mil, who looked a bit sick herself. The two of them sat down, and the others followed. The Gryffindors came in not too long afterwards. Madam Umbridge stood at the head of the classroom, watching them all with a smile pasted on her face. She wore a pink hat on her perfectly curled hair, and a pink fuzzy cardigan, and a pink plaid dress. She was squat and stumpy, and the whole outfit did nothing for her. Harry would have been tempted to give her a makeover, if he liked her better.

Harry could tell she was uncomfortable and nervous, and that smile on her face was totally fake. Harry leant back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He settled for a disinterested scowl, and noticed that many of the others adopted similar looks. In any other situation, he would have given the new teacher a chance, but he'd done his research. Umbridge was a bigot, and it was bitches like her that made so many people's lives miserable.

Susan and the other Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws in their year had class with her the previous day. The girl said it'd been dreadfully boring and horrible, that they'd spent the whole class period reading. Just like how Astoria and Rosie's class had gone.

"Hello children, and welcome to Defense! I am Ms. Delores Jane Umbridge, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" She said, her voice sugary sweet. Mil made a gagging motion, and Madam Umbridge fixed the girl with an icy glare. She quickly pasted a smile on her face, looking to the classroom.

"I am looking forward to a fantastic year at Hogwarts, and I hope that we can all become very good friends! Now, please get out your books...no, wands will not be needed." She said primly. There were many sighs at this.

Harry didn't bother getting out his book. He just continued to stare. Several others around him glanced over, and stopped, leaving their books in their bags.

"Mr. Potter? Do you not have a book?"

"I used to have it. I even read it all. But I burned it." He said placidly. It was a complete lie- it was sitting in his bookbag, but he just wanted to see what would happen. Maybe he'd burn it later, after class, just so it wouldn't be a lie. Maybe they could start a bonfire in the courtyard. That would be fun, and it would boost morale.

"You-You what?" The woman gasped.

Harry straightened in his seat. "It's not even worth the paper it's written on. It's trash. The whole book is full of propaganda, and it doesn't actually teach us a thing about Defensive magic." He said, keeping his voice even. He could tell he was intimidating the woman. It helped that all of the Slytherins were backing him up, staring at her unnervingly.

"Well...I...it's a Ministry Approved textbook!" The woman simpered. She flicked her wand, and another zoomed onto Harry's desk. "Here." She looked to the rest of the students. "I want all of you to read chapter one, please!"

The room was silent at this. Those, like Granger, attempted to do as they were told, but mostly everyone followed Harry's lead, and didn't move a muscle.

Harry grabbed his bookbag from the floor, and stood.

"Mr. Potter!"

"I'm not wasting my time here." Harry murmured, and walked out. He had better things to do.

x-x-x

Harry sat in the Headmaster's office, stirring his cup of tea calmly, listening to Umbridge and McGonagall duke it out, while Dumbledore watched on. Harry could tell Dumbledore was a bit amused by all of this. Severus was too, watching from his little corner.

"Mr. Potter, walking out of my classroom like that is most irregular, and I won't have it!"

Harry took a sip of his tea, not acknowledging the woman.

"He even said he'd burned his textbook!" The woman yelled.

"Mr. Potter, is this true?" McGonagall said with a frown.

Harry gave a slight shrug. "That's all it was good for- kindling. It was full of propaganda, and it waste of paper. I liked the illustrations- cute, but not very informative. Honestly, I think Slinkhard's book on Tactical Dueling would have been better for fifth year level."

The office was quiet at this, except for the soft croon of Fawkes, as he preened his feathers.

He stood, setting his tea aside. "I am well within my rights to opt out of this class, as long as I take the OWL at the end of the year. I've already filled out the paperwork." He handed over said paperwork, and handed copies to both the Headmaster and Severus. "See, the Ministry seal?" Harry said with a small smile, and turned to Umbridge. "Now, I may change my mind about taking the course with you, ma'am, if you decide to change your course aims and have more appropriate reading for our grade level. Honestly, I wouldn't even give those books to the first years."

"...This is completely disrespectful. You don't know the first thing about teaching." The woman sneered, glaring at him.

"I'm just stating the truth." Harry said calmly. Keeping his head was important against this woman. "We all need to be prepared. Voldemort has returned, and I just want all of us to be safe-"

"He is not back!" The woman yelled. Harry could see a little fear enter her eyes, however. He could see that even she doubted the Minister, just a little bit.

"He is." Harry said evenly. "I saw him. And some were attacked this summer, including Amelia Bones-" Umbridge flinched at this.

"Amelia Bones died from a burglary gone wrong! She was not murdered by you-know-who or any of his followers!"

"...Right."

x-x-x

In the end, Harry got out of detention, and was not required to go to Madam Umbridge's classes. When word got out that Harry was able to get out of her classes, other students sent letters to their parents asking if they could do the same. Most of the parents said no, knowing that their kids just wanted to get out of class. However, for people like Dean and the twins, they just skipped class anyways.

The corridors and grounds were completely deserted of Slytherins Saturday afternoon, after lunch, and before dinner. Coincidentally, this was the time that the Slytherins had scheduled for their first 'study session'. Harry let the girls lead the way, helping those that needed it.

After dinner, people were still gathered together in small groups, talking about what they had learned, excited that they'd finally gotten a certain spell right, or celebrating the fact that they were getting one over on Umbridge. No one seemed to like her.

Sunday morning was quiet- the Ravenclaws had their first 'study session' in their common room after breakfast, and was a great success. Cho, Padma, and Luna worked well together. To prove her 'worthiness' to the House, Luna showed them her patronus (a rabbit), and the other Ravenclaws eagerly followed. Because the other students were out and about in full force, the Ravenclaws were not noticable in their absence. Could they really make this work? How long could they really get away with this?

Harry was happy that everyone seemed to be working well. Everything went pretty smoothly for the first couple of weeks, and Harry noticed that people seemed to be...excited, happy, actually happy, about learning Defense.

Harry wondered how long it would take before the other Professors would start to notice.

One evening, during a meeting of the core AKDA group, Harry spoke up. "I think we should all do something special, to reward everyone. What do you guys think?"

"We should host a party!" Pansy said excitedly.

Harry smiled at this. There had definitely been a dearth of parties lately- everyone had been rather busy, after all. They kept getting piled up with homework, on top of everything else.

"Alright, a party it is." He said, noting the excited looks. "An impromptu thing in the Great Hall?"

Dean spoke up, playing with Luna's hair. "Yeah. Halloween?"

"A costume party?" Rosie said excitedly. "That would be lots of fun."

"Umbridge won't like it." Mil pointed out.

"Umbitch can suck it." Dean scowled. "Have you guys heard about the detentions she's been giving out? Colin told me the other day she used this quill that actually carved into his skin-"

Many gasped at this. "A blood quill!" Several said in unison.

Harry frowned. "What's that?"

Draco spoke up, looking grave. "A quill that's traditionally used in signing contracts and such. They're banned from use, otherwise. Repeated use can cause quite a bit of blood loss, and permanent scarring. This needs to be reported."

Dean nodded. "I'll have Colin tell McGonagall. If they sweep it under the rug, we'll have people write their parents, and report it to the papers."

Harry nodded firmly. Millie smiled as he leant into her side, and she wrapped an arm about his shoulders. "So, Halloween- if everyone shows up to the Great Hall in costumes that evening, people can't get into detention. The twins can set up their fireworks-" There were some grins at this. "And maybe we can even set up a costume contest. You know, best couple, best dressed, best historical representation, best spellwork...I don't know. You lot can come up with the categories."

"Do you think we could have dancing and music?" Astoria asked.

Harry smiled. "I think we can do that. I'll talk to Severus, and maybe get some help from the House Elves..."

Hermione made a face at this- she clearly did not approve of 'slave labor' as she called it.

"...So...are you two going to go together?" Daphne asked Harry and Mil.

Harry and Millie exchanged a look.

"You know...if you guys wanted to come out...we'd be fine with it." Neville said quietly. "We'll have your back."

"Are...are you guys dating anyone? Else, I mean?"

Harry looked uncomfortable at Astoria's question, while Millie shook her head. "Not right now. We've been sort of busy, you know?"

"But...are you guys looking to date?" Tracey asked.

Harry got up. "How did we get on this topic anyways? Come on, let's get back to work!"

x-x-x

Haha, I had sort of had this part written that I ended up deleting completely by accident. Thinking about it now, I know it was way too early in the story for it to happen, so I'll wait on that bit. Hope you guys liked the chapter! Please review.


	47. Chapter 47

Love In the Dark

* * *

Sorry for the small delay. Couldn't access a computer. However, this chapter is definitely worth the wait!

x-x-x

Harry was working on his halloween costume when there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" He called out.

Astoria poked her head in, quickly followed by Rosie. The two girls looked at Harry, eyes widening at all the bits of costume surrounding him on the floor where he worked. The two girls entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"Um...we were roped into asking you about um...if we were going to do the Tests for the...Group."

"Oh...no. Actually, I was thinking about disbanding it."

"What?" Astoria gasped. "But it's been a tradition for hundreds of years!"

"And it's severely limiting our powerbase. It's just an elitest club, you know? Limiting it just Slytherin members isn't good enough. The camaraderie there doesn't even compare to what we have with the AKDA."

The girls shared a look, and sat down on the floor with Harry. "So...that's going to be your Halloween costume?"

Harry nodded. "Yep. What do you think?"

"...What are you supposed to be?" Astoria finally asked.

"A fairy."

The girls giggled at this, and Harry grinned, holding up the swaths of fabric. "Not very manly, I know, but I think I'll look good. I was thinking that we all could go for a bonfire afterwards, after the party in the Great Hall- it'll be fun. We could dance around the fire and tell scary stories..."

Astoria interrupted him, looking a bit shy. "Harry? When did you know that you liked boys?"

Harry blinked. What an odd question. "I...always did, I suppose. I mean, I do think that women are attractive too, I've just always...preferred men."

"Oh...so you and Millie did stuff together? Does it hurt?" Rosie asked.

Harry blinked again. "How come you two aren't asking Daph about this, instead of me?"

Astoria smiled at this. "She said to go away and ask again when we're older. But we're twelve, nearly thirteen now, and...well... a boy asked me to the party." She said shyly.

"Wow...that's great..." He trailed off, seeing Rosie's expression. "Right?"

The two girls shrugged.

Rosie spoke timidly. "Have you ever kissed a boy? Did you and Dean ever..."

Harry laughed. "Dean is straight, and no, we've never done anything."

"Did you ever want to?" Astoria asked with a giggle.

Harry sighed, looking down at the fabric in his hands, a small smile appearing on his face as he thought over his response. "Dean is my friend. Yes, he's attractive, but we would never work."

"So...did you kiss any other boys?" Rosie repeated.

Harry laughed again. "You two..." He sighed. "Yes. I snogged boys all the time before I came to Hogwarts, but I haven't really got the chance to, since I came to the magical world."

"...Is kissing a boy the same as kissing a girl?" Astoria asked quietly.

Harry gave them a long look. "I think everyone kisses differently, has their own style. I think it matters most is if you care about the person you're kissing in the first place. If feels completely different."

"Did you not like kissing Millie? Is that why she turned gay too?"

Harry laughed a bit more, shaking his head. "No, kissing Millie was very nice too, and you can't just...turn gay. You are, or you're not." He motioned to the door. "If you're so eager to find out, snog a couple of guys or girls, and see what you like best. Of course...ah, be safe about it." The girls left, and Harry sighed, glad that there were still some innocent people in the world.

He held up his costume with a small smile. He was going to be dressed as the male version of Mab, the Fairy Queen. She wore an outfit made out of spiderwebs and dew, so he got the closest material he could find to that- acromantula silk from Twillfit and Tatting's. It was terribly expensive, but damn, was he going to look good. The light greyish material was silky to the touch, almost transparent. With all the layers he would wear, the robes would flow about him rather nicely. He was going to have to do something special with his hair...oh, perhaps he could get away with wear a crown?

He thought the whole party was a good idea. It would give people something to look forward to, rather than boring defense classes that nobody wanted to be in, and essay after essay. To top it off, the teachers had no idea what was going to happen, so essentially, they were pranking the staff. It was going to be a lot of fun. Everyone needed it- Umbridge had stopped using that horrid blood quill on the students, but was still giving out detentions like nobody's business. She was giving out more detentions than Severus, and that was saying something!

Harry glanced at the clock that sat on his bedside table, and set his outfit aside. Time to see Severus! He grabbed his invisibility cloak, and the bag he'd prepared before hand. Severus was mostly likely in his office, grading papers. Harry hoped to sneak into his rooms, so he could get prepared for what he had planned tonight.

He hooked his bag over his shoulder, and left his room. Just as he left, however, he saw Theo open his door just down the hall, obviously looking for him. He motioned Harry to come over to his room. Harry sighed, and went over, hoping whatever this was wouldn't take too long.

"What's up Theo?"

The boy let him in, and Harry glanced around. He'd never been in Theo's room before, actually. It was rather plain looking- it was tidy, and there were lots of books sitting on the boy's desk. There was a poster of the Holyhead harpies, but that was all that decorated the room.

Theo closed the door quietly, obviously thinking about something.

"Harry...I heard something this summer...and...I just wanted to confirm it."

Harry frowned. "Yes?"

"...Did you kill my Father?"

Harry looked down, and sat on Theo's bed. "Theo...I..."

"Why didn't you tell me! You told us after the task that you killed a death eater, but you never said that you were the one that killed my Father! Merlin, Harry, why didn't you tell me?" Theo looked like he was going to cry any moment. It alarmed Harry- the boy had always seemed so composed.

"I'm sorry." Harry apologized. "He attacked me, and I retaliated."

Theo turned away, shoulders shaking. "I...I wasn't sure if it was true or not...my Uncle told me. Sometimes he...says things that aren't true. I don't know what to think anymore."

Harry stayed put, watching the boy turn back to face him. Theo's eyes were watery with unshed tears. "He took me in- I had no where else to go. I...Harry, I can't stay with him. Look, I support you and everything- I agree that the Dark Lord is crazy, but...you killed my Father. What am I supposed to think? What on Earth did he say to you that made you slit him up like that! I saw his body..."

Theo broke down, crying, hiding his face behind his hands.

"He said he was going to rape me. He attacked me in our first year... During the Malfoy's party, so I knew he would follow through with it if I stuck around."

Theo lowered his hands. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry, Theo. I didn't tell you because...well, he was your Father. Some Fathers...treat their kids well, even if they don't treat other people...nicely. He...treated you well, right?"

Theo looked away, sniffling. "Well...I guess. He was tough, but no stricter than say Mr. Malfoy would be on Draco." He looked back at Harry. "Did he really threaten to hurt you like that?"

"Yeah. He grabbed me, and...well, I got away. Theo...did no one ever tell you that your Father...hurt other kids? I...I did that so he wouldn't hurt anyone anymore."

Theo looked shell shocked at this, almost disbelieving. "Oh Merlin..."

Harry stood from the bed, and hugged Theo gently. "I really am sorry." He whispered. "I know nothing can replace your Father...if you want to leave the group...I would understand."

Theo shook his head quickly, looking determined. "No...no, I won't leave the group. P-people die, right? We Slytherins are just...unfortunate enough to have to be facing our families in this war."

"...So...you're okay? How is your Uncle treating you?" Harry really understood what Theo had said- after all, Millie had killed her own brother during the summer, not that they ever told anyone. There were just some things that should be kept private.

Theo made a face. "I want out. Draco told you that we're all supposed to see the Dark Lord at Yule, right?"

Harry gave a slight nod at this. "We've been making a plan, and setting up safehouses. If you want, we'll have a space for you there."

Theo hugged him, burying his face in Harry's hair. "Thank you." He gasped in relief.

Harry pulled away, reaching up and wiping Theo's tears away. The boy looked a bit uncomfortable at this. "I'm not into blokes, Harry."

Harry laughed softly, shaking his head. "I know that. Sorry...just happens sometimes. I just want to look after you guys, you know? You're my friends. Will you be alright?"

"...Yeah. I think I'm going to spend some time in the training room."

"Why don't you take Blaise with you- you two can practice on those charms we covered in the last session."

Harry left Theo to it, his good mood gone. He walked down the narrow hallway, suddenly feeling horrible at what he'd done.

He snuck into Severus' office, and Severus glanced his way.

Harry just smiled, and went ahead into Severus' quarters. He went to the loo, and undressed. He opened his bag, and pulled out the outfit he'd chosen. It was a light blue dress, pretty and cute, but it didn't fit his mood at all anymore. He scowled, tossing it back into the bag, burying his face in his hands.

He'd really wanted to do this for ages. Severus had never seen him dressed up before. But...he just wasn't in the mood for something cutesy and fun. He pulled off his clothes, looking at his reflection for a long moment. He took off his many holsters and things, setting them inside the bag. He sighed as he took out the dress, and tapped his wand to it, charming the light blue and turning it to a black.

He pulled on the dress, smoothing out the wrinkles- it had short sleeves, and the hemline fell just to his knees. He unbraided his hair, and left it loose. He put a bit of perfume on, and leant in close to the mirror to put a bit of lipgloss on.

"What are you doing?"

Harry jumped, heart pounding in his chest. "Severus! You scared me."

Severus leant in the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest. The man gave Harry a long look up and down. "You look good."

Harry smiled slightly at this. "Honestly...I had this whole thing planned out...it was very cute. But...I'm not in the mood for cute anymore. Severus...could..."

Harry lowered his eyes, putting his bit of makeup back in the bag. "I want you to hurt me. Hurt me so bad that I'll have bruises for a while. Can you do that?"

"...Why?" Severus asked, looking concerned. "Not that I'm complaining, but what's wrong?"

"...I just need...to forget for a little while. So...will you?"

Severus took him by the hand, leading him back into the sitting room. Severus sat on the sofa, and Harry stood uncertainly before the man.

"I will do this, but I am going to insist that you take a bruise salve after we Play- I don't want you walking around with injuries. And then we will talk. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Harry said, his smile looking a bit more real this time.

"Good. Now, go get the cane, and the paddle."

Harry went into the bedroom, and returned quickly, holding both in his hands. Severus conjured some rope, and Harry smiled as the man tied his wrists behind his back in a rather tight, yet nice looking knot. The man stood behind Harry, testing the knot, making sure it wouldn't cut off Harry's circulation after a while. Harry closed his eyes, bowing his head as he felt the man tugging at his wrists.

"Feel alright?"

"Yes Sir." Harry murmured.

Severus' arms wrapped around his body from behind,holding him tight, trapping Harry's arms between them. Harry sighed, concentrating on the feel of Severus' body against his, and Severus magic slowly building up. He let out a soft sigh as hands slowly caressed his bare arms. He had a feeling Severus would be teasing him like crazy tonight.

"You smell good. New perfume?"

Harry tilted his head back, following the tug at his hair. "Just haven't worn this one in while. Got it ages ago, Sir." Harry murmured.

"I like the dress. I've never seen you dressed this way. You look good."

Harry rested the back of his head on Severus' shoulder, concentrating of the feel of the man's hands traveling to his front,tweaking a nipple through the thin fabric.

Harry groaned, wriggling at the sharp pain. Severus' other hand slid down to rest on his hip. With a shove, he was bent over the armrest of the sofa. Harry let out a small "Oomph" As he was pushed face first into the cushions. Severus moved him just enough so that his legs were lifted slightly off from the floor.

"There we go..." Hands went to his bottom, groping him. Harry's bare toes skimmed against the floor. He wriggled about in place, trying to find a good spot to settle in. Hands went to his hips, stilling them. Harry went still at the silent command, and he felt the back of his skirt lifted.

"Oh, you wore the knickers I like."

Harry grinned at this unashamedly, turning his head so that he wasn't face down in the cushions anymore. His hair was in his face, though, so his vision was still blocked. at least he could breath. He bit his lip as Severus grabbed his bum with a firm grip.

"This is mine, right pet?"

Harry groaned. "Yes sir."

Severus was just about to reach for the cane when the floo flared, indicating that there was a floo call. Severus cursed under his breath, going to the fireplace.

"Severus?" Came Lucius' voice. Severus knelt before the fireplace.

"Good evening Lucius."

"Narcissa's out for the evening, and I wanted to get away from the manor for a bit. Mind if I drop by for a bit of brandy while we talk things over?"

Severus glanced towards Harry. "Well...I'm sort of busy right now."

Harry heard Lucius laugh. "Oh, really? Well, I wouldn't mind watching..."

Harry's eyes went round.

"...Okay. But only watching. Come on through." Severus stepped aside, and Lucius came through, stopping short as he saw Harry over the side of the sofa.

"Oh my!"

Severus motioned to the armchair. "Sit over there. I don't trust you anywhere near my pet."

Lucius poured himself a drink, and sat in the armchair. "His hair is covering his face, you know."

Severus reached over, brushing back Harry's hair away from his face. Their eyes met, and the lovers exchanged a small smile. While unexpected for the evening, it wasn't unwelcome. Severus and Lucius had done things before, and the two of them were well aware that Lucius was attracted to Harry.

"There we are, pet." Severus said with a murmur. He reached for the cane, and moved to stand behind the boy, sliding his hand over Harry's knickers.

Severus spoke to Lucius. "This is my first time seeing Harry dressed like this. Isn't he beautiful?"

Harry flushed under Lucius' heady gaze, swallowing as Severus' hand slid underneath, caressing his balls through the thin material of his knickers.

"Oh yes...very nice." Lucius purred.

Severus tapped the cane lightly on Harry's bum several times in quick succession. There were light taps, more teasing than anything else. He hit across the back of Harry's thighs several more times. Harry let out a slow exhale as Severus's strikes grew harder. Harry looked over at Lucius again- the man was staring at the two of them over the top of his glass, a small smile playing on his lips, and a lusty look in his eyes.

Harry cried out at a particularly hard strike- it burned- that was definitely going to bruise. Severus ran his hand over the raised red line, making Harry groan and squirm. His lover pressed down, making the pain even stronger.

"Sir..." Harry groaned, closing his eyes.

"Lucius, get me the paddle, if you will?"

"Of course." Lucius got up from his chair, setting his glass aside. As he went to get the paddle, Severus gave three more hard strikes to his bottom. The sound of the cane whipping in the air and smacking against his skin was like music- Harry cried out, toes curling. He lost his balance, tipping over fully onto the sofa, but Severus managed to catch him before he fell.

Harry was vaguely aware of him being moved, Severus sat down on the sofa, and had Harry laid over his lap, face down. Lucius handed the paddle over, and knelt close by, so he could watch Harry's face closely.

Harry let out a groan as his knickers were tugged down, revealing his bum. He closed his eyes slowly as Severus hand slid over his warm skin- it was soothing, cool to the touch.

"Looks like you've already got some bruises. Let's add some more, shall we?"

And he started in with the paddle. Severus used one hand to paddle him, while the other was used to hold him down, his hand firmly on the middle of Harry's back. Harry was slowly losing it- all he could think about was what he was feeling, how his heart was pounding, and that amazing pain... he wriggled his groin into Severus' thigh, making the man chuckle.

Harry barely registered Lucius moving closer, reaching forward and brushing Harry's hair back away from his face. Harry stared at the blonde, but not really seeing him. He didn't notice Severus and the man exchange a long look. After a moment, Lucius reached forward again, stroking his flushed cheek.

Harry let out a sigh, and Severus set the paddle aside, and used his hand grope his bum and thighs, pressing down on his bruises and welts.

He was a mess. A hot, panting mess. The combination of all these sensations, Severus' magic, his own magic, and Lucius', was making him feel very lightheaded and wonton. He groaned, wriggling as Severus slid his finger inside him.

"Yeessss." He whispered, eyes closing. "Please." He begged.

Severus rolled him over onto his back, and tugged his knickers down a bit further, freeing his cock from it's confines. Harry heard a groan, but he didn't know from who. He felt Severus start to fondle his balls, and slide a finger inside him.

Another set of hands joined, stroking his hair lightly. Harry opened his eyes, and saw Lucius inches away from him.

"Hi." Harry whispered.

"Hullo little one." Lucius whispered back. Harry's eyes fluttered closed as the man's fingers carded through his scalp.

Harry didn't really pay attention as Severus began to unbutton the dress he wore, revealing his bare chest. He went back to preparing Harry, adding another finger down there. Harry's cock ached, but no one touched it.

Lucius's hands slid over Harry's chest teasingly, his nicely trimmed nails scratching over the boy's pale skin, leaving light red lines. Harry arched up into the touch, mouth dropping open, head lolling back on Severus' thigh.

"Sir! Oh God, please touch me. I can't stand it!" He begged.

Severus chuckled. "I think that's up to us, isn't it?"

Severus picked him up, cradling him in his arms. He was carried to the bedroom. He really didn't pay attention to what Severus and Lucius were saying.

"You can do whatever you like, but I'm the only one fucking him tonight." Severus stated.

"Of course." Lucius replied. "I wouldn't want to impose."

They spoke as if they were talking about tea or something. Harry was laid upon the bed, and his hands were untied. He laid there for a moment, trying to recollect himself. He turned his head, looking over to see both Severus and Lucius undressing. Harry's eyes widened at this, seeing the differences between the two men. While Severus was tall and broad shouldered, with his paper pale skin and scars littering his skin, Lucius looked quite different. His skin was flawless, and while he had some muscles, he was more...refined looking.

Harry sat up slightly on his elbows as he the two men joined him on the bed. Severus kissed him heatedly, pulling Harry flush up against him. Harry groaned, wriggling against his lover. Severus pulled off his dress, and Harry felt Lucius taking his knickers the rest of the way off.

"While we do like that dress on you, you wouldn't want it to get mussed up, right?" Lucius purred in his ear, coming up from behind, and began to kiss his neck.

It was then that Harry realised...with all the crazy things he'd done sexually over the years, he'd never had a threesome. Most men were too possessive of him to share with another at the same time.

"I've never had a threesome before." Harry said, sounding a bit dazed.

Severus chuckled darkly, while Lucius nipped at his ear. "Well, we have."

"Oh?" Harry gasped as his bum was smacked by Lucius, while Severus pulled him into a harsh kiss.

Lucius raked his fingers down Harry's back. "In our younger days, before Severus got too stuffy and settled in his schoolteacher ways. Narcissa and I still routinely do such things...well, we did before..."

Harry turned his head, cutting Lucius' words off with a heated kiss. Harry could feel both Severus' and Lucius' magic spike at this. Lucius tasted very different from Severus, but still enjoyable all the same. He pulled away, panting. "Let's not talk about that right now."

"I agree." Severus murmured, hand sliding over Harry's cock lightly, teasing him. Harry groaned, wriggling between the two men.

"God, just fuck me already!" Harry cried out.

Severus pulled his hand away, and rolled on top of his lover. "What did I tell you about being in a rush, pet?"

"Sorry sir." Harry murmured, wriggling against the blankets as Severus settled in between his legs. Lucius moved, so that he was on the other side, holding Harry's arms above his head. Harry opened his eyes, and saw Lucius' cock properly- it was so different than Severus', and yet, it was still just as gorgeous.

He was distracted again as Severus continued to prepare him. Lucius leant over, kissing him harshly, his long hair tickling Harry's chest. Harry's lips felt raw and bruised at the force. Harry's hips snapped up as Severus reached his prostrate. He cried out loudly.

"You better do something to quiet him, Lucius." Severus purred from above him.

And then Harry found Lucius forcing his cock into Harry's mouth. Harry groaned at this, but didn't pull away. The man thrust in and out of his mouth slowly, as though he wanted to make it last as long as he could. Harry turned his head, catching Lucius' gaze as he sucked the man's cock.

Lucius looked wild, nearly out of control, so different than the usually composed man. He was gorgeous.

He groaned, letting go of the man's cock momentarily as Severus entered him. His legs were lifted up, and Severus steadied his hips as he thrust in and out of Harry. Harry barely had time to gather his wits about himself when Lucius' cock was back inside his mouth.

It was overwhelming and hot, and it was just what he needed. Funny, this was not what he was planning at all, but it seemed as though everything and everyone just came into place at the same time.

Harry watched Severus and Lucius kiss above him, startled at the sight. For some reason, when he'd thought of them together in a threesome or something, he always imagined the two of them more...separate. Whatever, he wasn't complaining. It was hot!

Harry watched them pull apart, and look down at him, Hands stroked up and down his chest, pinching at his skin, nails creating a crisscross pattern of light marks that would go away in just a few short hours... it was too much. Harry felt his release rapidly approaching. Severus quickened his thrusts, realizing this as well.

Lucius came first, cumming into his mouth, his spike of magic accompanying it stronger than he'd ever felt come from the man. He barely had time to enjoy it before Severus was thrusting inside him wildly, hitting his prostrate like mad, making Harry arch off the bed at the force of his orgasm. In turn, Severus came, filling up his insides. The three of them laid together in a warm and sated mess, all with stupid grins on their faces.

x-x-x

After cleaning up in the loo, The three of them reconvened in the sitting room. Harry was dressed in one of Severus' nightshirts, while Severus had his dressing robe on. Lucius was wearing his trousers, but his shirt was still undone. Harry sat in Severus' lap, his legs laid across Lucius'.

They talked about Theo, and what they could do for him. Harry felt insanely guilty for killing the boy's father, but he didn't regret it. Both Lucius and Severus said it was understandable that he felt that way. Sadly, family members killing each other wasn't that uncommon in the last war, considering how many pureblooded families were somehow related.

Harry hated it. He didn't want _anyone_ to lose their family.

Conversation turned to lighter things as Severus applied the bruise salve to Harry's skin. Harry and Severus agreed that the spur of the moment thing with Lucius had been fun. Lucius certainly wasn't complaining either. While they were open for something like that happening again, it was likely that it wouldn't be a regular thing, especially with the war.

It was a fun experience by all, and all three looked forward to a day where they could Play together again.

x-x-x

Harry had been in an insanely good mood since his 'thing' with Lucius and Severus, and it showed in the week leading up to Halloween. When he wasn't busy with schoolwork and lesson plans for the AKDA, he was humming dancing about, excited for what was going to occur on Halloween.

That evening, Harry and Mil were getting ready in his room. Mil was dressed as a pirate. She was wearing a rather revealing cincher and shirt, trousers, her heeled boots, and an eyepatch. She was sprawled out on Harry's bed, watching Harry get ready.

"I wonder what the others are going to be dressed up as. I know Tracey is going as Medusa, and the twins are going as muggle mad scientists, but I have no idea what the others will be wearing."

Harry brushed his hair back artfully, so that it was partially pulled back. He put one of his fancy combs in.

"Well, I believe Hermione is going as a doctor. And...I think Ginny might be going as a pirate too."

"Really?"

"Well, I think she said a pirate wench, but this was after I told her what you were going as, so..."

Mil sat up suddenly. "What? Why didn't you tell me!"

Harry laughed at this, some of the tiny bells in his hair jingling with the movement.

"Merlin, Mil, I don't know. Anyways, if she does go as a wench, you'll have all evening to look at those boobs of hers." Harry stood. "So? How do I look?"

Millie smiled. "Fantastic, of course."

Harry reached over, and grabbed the silver circlet, and put it on his head."Too much?"

"No, I think you look very nice, like a real fairy Queen...er, King."

Harry stuck his tongue out at her, and looked back at his reflection. He'd added a bit of makeup to his face to make him look more 'fairylike', accentuating his features and giving him a more angular look. It wasn't too heavy, but just enough to make him look different. His hair had been lengthened, of course, but much longer than unusual- it fell to his knees this time. There were a few small braids here and there, with small ribbons and tiny bells braided in. It would take forever to get it all out in the morning, but he didn't care. His hair was perfect.

The robes looked fantastic, of course. They would billow about dramatically, he hoped, as he danced around the bonfire tonight. He adjusted his sleeves a bit, and slipped into his shoes. They were more like silver slippers. He really had wanted to go barefoot, but it would have been too cold.

He followed Millie out of his room, making sure to pull up the front of his robes so he wouldn't trip on the front hem. Fairies were supposed to be graceful, after all. He smiled as the whole room went quiet, seeing the two of them. Someone let out a whistle, and people began to stream out of the common room, to the Great Hall.

Harry loved seeing the Professor's expressions when they saw that every single student, even the most stuffiest, wore costumes. Just as he was sitting down, the candles dimmed, and music began to play. The Houseelves had really outdone themselves again. Everyone began to eat, and Harry watched the staff at the table.

Dumbledore was twinkling again, and Flitwick was quickly charming his own robes into a costume, getting into the spirit. Severus simply raised a brow as their gazes met, and Harry smiled. Umbridge looked to be tearing into McGonagall, and he felt sorry for the Transiguration Professor. McGonagall looked as though she was going to blow up at any minute, though.

As the Feast was winding down, Cedric stood from his place at the Hufflepuff table. "Everyone, we've got a bonfire planned over by the Black Lake! Everyone is welcome to come! If not, there are refreshments in your common rooms!"

There were loud cheers at this, and Dumbledore stood. Everyone looked at him expectantly, as though he would cancel the festivities.

"I believe we shall join you, if that is alright, Mr. Diggory?"

Cedric gave the slightest of nods, and the students cheered again, stamphedeing out of the Great Hall.

Harry made his way slowly through the crowds, not in a hurry. So far...this was the best Halloween ever.

x-x-x

Of course... Halloweens are never a good day for Harry. Dun-dun-Duuun!

Seriously, thanks for reading guys. I'll try to update soon. Please review!


	48. Chapter 48

Love In the Dark

* * *

Sorry for the cliffhanger in the previous chapter- I didn't realize it would bother you guys so much, lol. I am glad that you all seemed to like the threesome, however. XP

x-x-x

Mil sat by the dying flames of the bonfire. It was nearly midnight now, and most of the students had already left for bed, or for...other activities. She sat on one of the logs, watching Harry lead a group of hyperactive first years in a dance. They probably should have been in bed long beforehand, but they were all hyped up.

Harry looked beautiful, laughing and carefree. It was the happiest she'd seen him out in public in quite some time. This had been a really good idea. Harry looked so magical, so ethereal, in his costume, lit by the flames.

Mil glanced around and saw most of their friends were already gone. She smiled as she saw Dean and Luna sneaking off hand in hand, to who knows where.

Then her eyes caught on Ginny, who was approaching her. Millie gave her a long look up and down. The red head wore a long skirt and bustle, but her top was rather revealing. Her hair was pulled up high and curled- with this, and the makeup, she looked very different than she normally did. She looked...bloody fantastic.

Ginny offered her a small smile as she settled into a place next to Millie on the log. "Having fun?"

Mill gave her a slight nod. "You?"

Ginny nodded back. The two of them sat there in silence for a moment, and Millie could tell something was on the girl's mind. She looked hesitant, nervous even.

Mil casually laid her hand on top of Ginny's, and their eyes met. Mil slowly intertwined their fingers, and a small smile appeared on the red head's face. Mil gave a slight motion to her head, indicating that they go off for a walk.

Ginny smiled wider at this, and Mil stood, leading her away from the bonfire. The two girls waved to Harry as they passed. They started walking along the shore of the lake, slowly heading towards the castle.

"So..." Mil started, and Ginny laughed a little nervously. Their eyes met, and neither of them could stop smiling for some strange reason.

"Mil...I..." Ginny stopped, turning to face the other girl "I...I just wanted to say...that...I've noticed you looking at me." She said quietly, looking down. "And...I know...you like girls and everything, and well...I..."

If this had happened the previous year, Millie would have been a stuttering wreck too. Instead, her smile only widened, and she moved a step closer. Their hands brushed together, Mil caught Ginny's fingers in hers. "Yes?"

Ginny glanced up. "This is so hard. I... I think I'm gay. Like you. I don't know. It's just...so confusing, you know?"

Mil nodded. "Yeah, I do. Want to talk about it?"

Ginny nodded, and the two girls continued to walk hand in hand, closely together, their clothing hiding their joined hands.

"I'm the youngest, as you know, with all these brothers...Mum expected me to be more...like her, I guess. Popping out babies and feeding them like crazy." The two girls giggled at this.

"Believe me, my mum was like that too. Always wanting me to be more...like her." Mil's smile faded. "But...after a while, especially after I met Harry, I realized that I was miserable, pretending to be someone I wasn't. You know?"

"...Yeah. I-I want to fly for the Holyhead Harpies, but Mum wouldn't hear of it. She won't even let me practice flying at home." Ginny smirked at this. "But I sneak in at the middle of the night so I don't get caught."

Millie laughed at this. "Wow. Well, at least it's better than my Mum throwing out all of my drawings and such."

"...Did your family really disown you?" Ginny asked quietly.

"Probably. I don't know. I never received a notification." Mil said with a frown. "Look, your family is cool. I know the twins would support you, no matter what, and from what I've heard about Bill and Charlie..."

"Yeah...I think they'd be okay too." Ginny finished with a whisper. "It's my Mum that I'm worried about, though."

Mil sighed, and glanced up towards the sky, looking up at the stars. It was a new moon, so it was fairly dark out, but the stars shone like beacons. Ginny's hand tightened in hers, making Mil glance back down to her walking companion. Briefly, her eyes strayed to her chest, and then back up to her face.

"Mil...have you ever kissed a girl?" Ginny asked shyly.

Millie smiled at this. "Yeah."

"Really? Who?"

Mil gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. "I...um, I don't want to Out them."

"...Oh. Right." Ginny murmured. She turned, and the girls stopped walking. "...I really like you. I...have for a while now. It...um, started during the summer, but...it hasn't stopped. And...when I saw you looking at me, I thought..."

"We could have a go of it?" Mil ventured, and Ginny gave a hesitant nod.

Mil glanced around, and tugged Ginny towards a nearby oak tree. "Let's talk here. I don't want anyone to stumble upon us." Mil whispered, and leant against the tree. Ginny followed, looking a bit nervous.

"The thing is, I don't want to start anything with you if this is just...an experiment, a game. If we're going to be together, I want it to be serious. And I'm not going to lie to you- I'm not a very gentle person." Mil said, watching Ginny's expression carefully. It was even harder to see her now, underneath the leaves of the tree- even the starlight couldn't get to them.

"I don't understand...how would you not being gentle..." Ginny trailed off. Mil tugged her by the hand, yanking her close. Ginny barely had time to gasp before Mil's hands were in her hair, pulling her into a kiss. Ginny held on, kissing back for dear life. She didn't even hesitate as Mil tugged at her hair, controlling the kiss completely.

They parted, panting hard. Ginny felt wobbly, and leant into the other girl for support.

"Merlin." She whispered.

"I'm going to tell you something that you can't tell anyone else." Mil whispered into her ear, her voice deepening. Ginny' breath hitched, and she gave a slight nod.

"I like being in charge. I like it a lot. Especially when it comes to stuff like this. I won't do anything that you don't like, but I won't be gentle about it once you give the go ahead. I love like I duel. Hard. Rough. Passionate. You risk the pain, because it feels good, and the adrenalin and excitement just keep spurring you on. You ever feel like that?"

Ginny, in response, kissed her, hard. Mil shoved her up against the tree, holding her tight. They snogged heavily for a moment. "Yes." Ginny finally replied, panting as she leant her head on Mil's shoulder. "Oh fuck, Merlin yes. So many times, during our meetings, I'd get so wriled up...I almost always..."

"Rubbed one off afterwards?" Mil said, sounding amused. "Glad I'm not the only one."

Ginny blushed hotly at this, hiding her face in Mil's neck. "I can't believe we're talking about this." She whispered.

A hand slid down her back, coming to rest on the small of her back. "So...you and me?"

"Yeah."

"You know that it's going to be hard. We should keep it out of the press as long as we can, but...I really don't want to hide too long, you know?"

"...Yeah."

"Come on, I'll walk you back to the Gryffindor dorms."

They walked hand in hand to the castle, sporting silly grins.

x-x-x

Meanwhile, Luna and Dean were in Dean's dorm room. None of his roommates were around- Neville was last seen with Hermione in the common room, talking quietly in the corner. Seamus and Ron were passed out, drunk from the firewhiskey that the twins had snuck in that night. Said twins were off on the grounds somewhere, setting off fireworks.

Luna and Dean were in Dean's bed, and Dean was trying to control himself, he really was. Luna, as usual, was making it hard for him. Literally.

Dean groaned as Luna grinding herself into Dean's cock. He could feel her knickers were soaked- her dress was hiked up around her hips, revealing her milky white thighs. Her hands were slowly travelling up and down his chest, his shirt had been shoved up, revealing his dark skin.

Wandlight lit the small space up- they were obscured by curtains and several layers of spells to allow them some privacy. The couple snogged heavily, heady with lust. Luna jerked her hips, letting out a soft groan. Dean put his hands on her hips, trying to still her, but he ended up just pressing down, grinding her harder against his length.

"Merlin, I want you." He whispered.

Luna gave him a dreamy smile, and he knew what she would say. "Then have me." She whispered back.

She lifted herself up slightly, and her hands went to his trousers. He watched her undo them, trying to get himself calm again. It was just...so hard. She tempted him so much. He was trying hard to do right, but this little temptress always got him going...

He swallowed thickly as her hand grasped his length, sliding it back and forth slowly, her dainty fingers stroking the head of his cock.

Dean's hips jerked up, and Luna leant back, grinding her cloth-covered sex against his. He rolled them over, so that he was on top. He kicked off his pants and boxers, kissing her hard, groping her breasts. The girl trembled underneath him as he settled between her legs. He pulled off her dress over her head, and pulled off his shirt. She was just in her knickers and socks now.

She stared at at him with those wide eyes of hers, her small mouth curled up in her perpetual dreamy smile, red from kissing. He grasped her small breasts, tweaking them in his hands. She was so much smaller than he- he was able to hold her breasts easily in his hands.

"God, you're beautiful." He whispered, kissing her again.

She reached down, stroking him again, but only light teasing touches that had him hard as a rock, but unsated.

He kissed and nibbled at her neck and collarbone, reaching down to touch her. She'd soaked her knickers. His fingers hooked around the hem of her knickers, tugging them down over her thighs. His heart pounded like crazy as he seriously considered doing this.

She wriggled against his hand, kicking off her knickers. Luna gasped as one his fingers slid inside her, another teasing her clit.

"Please?" She whispered so quietly, so sweetly...he just wanted to give her everything.

He slid his finger in and out of her, noting how wet she was- she was ready, more than ready. He leant forward, taking himself in hand, pressing the head of his cock against her cunt.

Their eyes met, and Luna's smile widened.

Dean slid his length up and down, getting himself slick for her. He wanted to make this as painless as possible. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting her. He finally started to slide in, both of them freezing as his the head of his cock popped in. Their gazes never left each other's as he slowly slid in the rest of the way. She was so warm, so tight...God, this felt amazing.

Her breathing hitched in pain, but she gave him a nod, telling him to keep going. Dean began to thrust in and out of her slowly, trying not to cum quickly...wait.

"Luna...we didn't use protection."

Luna smiled. "I'm safe."

Dean shook his head, frowning. He began to pull out."Safe as it contraceptive potion safe, or safe is as in that stupid calendar thing?"

The girl huffed, pulling him close again. "I'm on the potion. Don't worry."

"Still..." Dean reached for his wand. "I want to make sure." He flicked it, murmuring a spell as well. He'd seen more than enough times as a kid about girls getting knocked up- he didn't want Luna in that way anytime soon.

He slid back into her, and began to kiss her again. Dean's thrusts quickened, and Luna's hands made their way to his hair. Dean buried his face into her neck, holding her tight against him. She moved her legs, wrapping them around his middle. The change of angle had them both crying out- Dean's fingers dug into her hips, and he could feel her tightening around him.

"Dean..." She begged. "Harder."

His hips jerked, and with a thrust, be buried all the way inside her. She cried out, clutching at him tightly. And he was cumming- he continued his thrusts for as long as possible- he knew neither of them would last long. Luna let out of soft groan, her cunt fluttering as she orgasmed.

They laid there for a long moment, reveling in just what happened. Dean pulled out of her slowly, making her shift in discomfort. "Are you alright?" He asked, rolling off of her.

Luna sighed, closing her eyes. "That was nice. It felt good."

Dean stared at her. Nice? What the hell?

"Perhaps next time we can try another position." She turned her head slightly, and looked at him. "Dean? Are you alright?"

"Uh...yeah. So...you think it's just...nice?"

Luna smiled, reaching forward, brushing her fingertips against his cheek. "It was nice. I think next time will be even better, since it won't hurt as much."

Dean looked worriedly at her, sitting up. "Are you in pain? I can get you a potion..."

She shook her head, and sat up slightly on her elbows. She giggled as she saw Dean's cum dripping out of her. She reached down, touching it, and brought her fingers to her lips, and tasted it. Dean stared at her.

"Yummy. You ready to go again? Perhaps I can try riding you this time?" She asked casually, not a blush to be seen. She really had no shame.

Dean looked down at his half-hard cock. "Uh...just give me a minute."

x-x-x

Meanwhile, back at the bonfire, Harry laid on the grass, smiling. It had been a fantastic evening, and everyone had lots of fun. Most of the students had left now, and he was the only one that remained, besides Dumbledore and Severus, who'd spent the evening watching all the students quietly. The other staff had retired for the night far before hand. Harry sat up with a sleepy yawn, looking forward to bed.

The house elves appeared, beginning to clean up the bonfire, and the mess that the students had left behind. Harry stood up, and grew a bit alarmed as he saw Hedwig flying their way. Dumbledore recieved an owl as well, nearly at the same time.

Harry took the letter from the owl, and it flew off again, without even waiting. Harry unfolded the piece of paper.

_Wotcher-_

_Azkaban has been broken into. See you ASAP.  
_

Harry crumpled the note in his hand, striding towards Severus and the Headmaster. The man looked grave, and he looked up as Harry approached.

"You heard, then?" Harry asked gruffly. "Is there anything we can do?"

Albus looked down at the note in his hands. "I'm going to Azkaban- will the two of you come with me?"

Harry and Severus exchanged a look. Harry drew his wand, summoning his weapons. Severus did the same, as well as his potions kit.

"Are you sure, Headmaster?" Harry asked cautiously, trying to figure out what the man was playing at.

Dumbledore looked at Harry for a long moment. "I believe it's time that we put whatever differences we have aside, and work together."

Harry and Severus' things arrived, and they quickly strapped them on or stowed them away. Harry snatched his fake wings off. The three of them grabbed hold of Fawke's tailfeathers, and they flashed away.

x-x-x

Dean awoke to Neville calling his name. "Dean! Dean! Wake up!"

Dean sat up abruptly, drawing out his dagger from underneath the pillow and unsheathing it in a quick moment. Beside him, Luna sat up as well, not even bothering to cover herself up.

Neville's eyes boggled for a moment, and he looked away, blushing. "Uh...Hermione told me to come get you. Says that Millie needs all of the core group together as soon as possible."

Dean's eyes widened, and he got out of bed, yanking his trousers on that were sitting on the floor. He tossed Luna's dress to her, and the blonde got dressed as well.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I think Millie wanted to talk to all of us at once."

"Where's Harry?"

"Dunno. Haven't seen him. Neither has Hermione. She did say that Millie was pretty pale..." At Dean's expression, Neville hastened to explain. "I don't think Harry's dead or anything, but I do think something happened last night."

Dean cursed under his breath, pulling on a shirt. Luna was slipping into her shoes, and pulling her hair back with a flick of her wand. The two of them followed Neville downstairs, and met up with Hermione, Ginny, and the twins in the common room. They all looked exhausted and worried. None of them said a word as they left the common room. The corridors looked pretty deserted- everyone was probably sleeping in. Well, most everyone.

They arrived to the foyer, where Millie was waiting for them. She led them down to the dungeons.

"Are we going to the training room?" Hermione asked, as they headed down the stairs.

Millie shook her head. "No. We're going to have to do this quickly, Umbridge is monitoring all the floos except for the Headmaster's and Professor Snape's, but she will notice if we're all gone too long."

"...Where are we going, then?" Dean asked.

"HQ." Millie said shortly. "We'll explain everything soon."

They all headed to Snape's office, where the Professor was waiting for them. He looked rather tired himself, and he moved slowly, as though he was injured. "Everyone else is waiting. I'll follow afterwards."

The teenagers went through the floo, and arrived to Grimmauld Place. They were rather shocked to find the entire Order there- even Dumbledore and those who supported him. Everyone looked a bit grim. Dean quickly found Harry, who was sitting on the opposite end of the table from Dumbledore. He had his head buried in his arms, and he looked as though he was still wearing his robes from the previous night. The Slytherin girls were there, as well as Draco, Cedric, Hannah, and Susan.

Dumbledore spoke up as he saw them. "Everyone, please find a seat if you can. I know it's rather early, and some of us have had little to no sleep. We will get through this quickly. Harry?"

Harry sighed, sitting up. "Azkaban was broken into last night. Not only was it broken into, the Dementors have fled, and it stands empty at this moment. All of the prisoners are either dead, or have become followers of the Dark Lord."

Dean cursed. "How many?"

"649 witches and wizards have joined his cause, we believe, according to the records we have. They had wands prepared for them when they left their cells- we suspect they were unregistered or heirloom wands. We were...unprepared for this. While we thought it could be possible, we had no idea that he would free all of the prisoners, rather than just his own followers."

"The Lestranges?" Neville breathed, looking furious.

Harry gave him a nod. "Because of the sheer numbers that they had, the Aurors who were called there were dreadfully outnumbered. Many were killed. Thankfully..." Harry motioned to Tonks, Shack, and Moody, who all looked dead on their feet, and were bandaged and bruised. "Shack, Tonks, and Moody managed to get through alright." Tonks looked a bit shaken.

"It was horrible." She whispered. "So many died. Many more would have, it wasn't for Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore."

Dean frowned. "You three went last night?"

Dumbledore spoke up. "Both Harry and I received notice of the attack last night- this was late, after all of you had gone on to bed. Time was of the essence, so we didn't have time to alert anyone."

Moody spoke. "Barty Crouch Sr. was found in the Ministry of Magic not an hour ago, dead. Which is making Fudge think that Barty Crouch Jr. is behind all of the attacks, and is calling him the "Heir of You-Know-Who." He rolled his eyes at this.

Many of those in attendance of the meeting exclaimed in shock. "What! But didn't anyone see You-Know-Who at the attack?" Millie asked.

"Actually, no." Shack said, with a frown. "Everything was so...chaotic, and we have reason to believe that Voldemort was there initially, but left before the rest of us arrived. His followers had apparently been given timed portkeys, when they were given their wands, because all of them managed to get out all at the same time, even the injured and the dead."

"It's a disaster." Tonks said, running a hand through her green and purple streaked hair.

Dean looked around. "We didn't lose any of our people?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"We were lucky. Very lucky." Snape said from his dark corner. "If Tonks and Moody hadn't sent those notes before they headed out, there would have been a lot more dead."

"The only good thing about all of this is that the Order has been reunited. Harry and I put our differences aside last night. I know that everyone here has something useful to contribute to our group. I say that we should pool our resources, and fight Voldemort together."

Dean frowned at this, and looked to Harry. Harry was looking down at his lap, looking a bit resigned. Dean stood. "Excuse me, Sir. Harry? Can we talk to you for a minute?"

Harry gave a slight nod, and stood as well. Millie followed the two of them out of the room, into the sitting room.

"Harry, what in the hell are you doing?" Dean whispered, taking his friend by the shoulders roughly. "I know you can't trust Dumbledore, so..."

Harry burst into tears, hugging Dean tightly. It was then that Dean realised how close his friend had been to crying in front of everyone. Millie hugged Harry from behind, and the three of them stood together like that, allowing Harry to cry it out.

"I'm sorry." Harry whispered, wiping his tears away. "...If you had seen what I had last night, you'd want to cry too." He ran a hand through his hair. "Look... I don't trust Dumbledore, but we need him. He commands a lot of respect and power- as soon as all the aurors saw him last night, they...they looked so relieved..."

"You do that too, Harry." Mil whispered.

Harry shook his head slightly. "Look, because of what happened last night, there is no way we can't work together anymore. Any division between us will just weaken us all. Hell, at this point, we even need the Ministry's support." Both Dean and Mil made faces at this. "I know, Fudge is an idiot, but not all of them are like that. I saw Scrimengour last night- you know, the guy that took Amelia's place? He's a pretty good duelist, and handled everything as best he could. If we oust Fudge, Scrimengour will take his place...at least he's not corrupt, right?"

All three looked over to the kitchen as they could hear arguing. Harry sighed. "Fuck. Alright, let's do this."

The three of them headed back to the kitchen. Harry slammed the door open, making the room go silent as they took him in. He was still wearing his costume, but his makeup had long been washed off. Adding the blood stains and the fiery look in his eyes, Harry looked...rather frightening.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Harry asked, his voice flat, with no inflection. He was furious, and for a good reason. All of his friends sat down instantly, looking contrite. Harry looked to Dumbledore, who was watching him carefully.

Harry moved to his place at the end of the table, watching everyone's body language. "If we're going to be doing this together, you best make one thing clear. Whatever problems you have with other members of this group, you better fucking keep it to yourself. We've got enough shit to be dealing with."

Mrs. Weasley looked as though she wanted to chastise Harry for his language, but she didn't speak up.

"Those of you who think we're too young to be involved in this, you better think again. Dumbledore was right when he said that every single person here has something to contribute to the group. Now, if Dumbledore and I can set aside our differences for the time being, so can you. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes sir." Pansy said meekly, and the other girls followed. Millie and Dean stood silently at his sides, still flanking him.

Harry gave a slight nod. "Now, Dumbledore and I have been talking about what to do next. We can go to the papers, and call for Fudge's resignation. We will both put in Scrimengour as our candidate for Minister. If you want to help us do that, fine. All of us at Hogwarts will spread the news to the students, and we will have the students talk to their parents." There were many nods at this. "I don't have to tell you all that our training regimen will increase."

"Training?" Mr. Weasley inquired.

Several glanced at Harry, silently asking permission. Harry spoke up. "I've been training a small group of students since our first year. We've increased our numbers since then."

Millie spoke up. "That's an understatment. We've been training the entire student body in Defense."

The room was silent at this.

"...How did you manage that?" Bill asked.

"Ah ah, that would be telling." Harry said with a smile. "While we have had a few good defense Professors, they've mostly been horrible. To keep the students prepared, we've been training them."

"...Would you mind sharing some of the spells you've been teaching, Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked to the others, motioning to them. Cedric spoke up. "Well, the Hufflepuffs are managing fine in defensive shields and charms, and some of the older students have gotten their patronus' formed. We've been covering charms and transfiguration, and their place in dueling."

Luna spoke up dreamily. "The Ravenclaws are performing admirably, learning and performing spells quickly. Our healing team is one of the best, I must say."

Ginny spoke up shyly, glancing at her parents. "Neville, Hermione, and I are doing pretty well with the Gryffindors. Hermione's been leading the Healing team, but she and I have actually started inventing some spells of our own and teaching them to the younger kids. You see, they don't take a lot of effort or power to cast, and it make getting away from dangerous situations easier."

Pansy spoke next. "The Slytherins are performing quite well. Very organized, and we've gathered quite a bit of information."

"...Information?" Dumbledore and Moody asked in unison.

Harry cleared his throat. "Clearly, we are preparing. But it is not enough. After all, our group consists of schoolchildren." He decided not to mention the support he had from Fleur and the others- what Dumbledore did not know wouldn't hurt him. "And we need more support from outside the school."

"Quite right. I...am glad that you and your friends have taken such precautions. The world has become a much more dangerous place overnight, and with loosing many of our Aurors, what protection we have left is...well, not much." Dumbledore murmured, looking thoughtful.

Moody spoke up. "You think Scrimengour will be alright with taking off the Underage Magic laws, if he gets to be Minister?"

"...I will talk to him today. See what his opinon is. Alastor, Nymphadora, Kingsley, you all performed admirably last night. I daresay the three of you need a well-deserved rest. I know we will all be quite busy in the coming weeks- we won't be able to have a...full meeting like this until Yule, but perhaps we can keep each other updated?"

Harry gave the Headmaster a firm nod. He wouldn't tell everything- he was sure that the Headmaster wouldn't tell everything either.

Still...there was a lot of work to be done.

x-x-x

Yeah. It's happened. And Fudge is still being an idiot. Sigh. I believe the Azkaban breakout happened in late November of Fifth year, rather than Halloween, but I moved it up. I figured that Crouch Jr. was more competent than Pettigrew. Also, I always thought it was stupid for Voldemort to go into all that effort to just break out a few followers, rather than gain a whole bunch more followers. Whatever. Oh, did you guys like the Mil/Ginny and Dean/Luna bits?

Thank you guys for reading. Please review.


	49. Chapter 49

Love In the Dark

* * *

Holy Updates Batman! I'm glad you liked the last chapter everyone- thanks for reviews. I've been insanely busy lately, what with a major show coming up in two weeks. I've been making lots of art. Please look on my profile for more info on my art stuff. I've also got my very own website up! I did it myself, so don't make fun of it, lol.

Also, I've been getting a lot of reviews and messages asking me about updating my other stories. Please, please, please, wait until I am finished here. I don't want to lose my momentum with this story, so I am just sticking to this one. Also, for those of you who have asked, my Mom is doing better. She is still feeling kind of crappy, but she's not in the hospital either, so I call that a good thing.

For those of you who mentioned the typos...I am sorry about that. In my other stories, I normally edit each chapter at least four or five times before posting. However, with the amount of time I have these days and how often I post, I usually just read through once or twice after writing. As I'm actually writing these files on the doc. manager on ffnet, I don't even do a proper spellcheck, lol. Yes, I will fix them, when I have time. I figure when I'm completely finished writing this story, I will go back and edit it and improve it. :)

Thanks for reading, as always.

x-x-x

Voldemort sat in his chair on a dias in the Malfoy's ballroom. The entire room was filled, full of his followers- old and new. He knew that they had a long road ahead, but they had certainly pulled off quite the coup. While there were more injured or killed than he had wanted, they still gained quite a few.

Malfoy Manor would be full up, until the Lestranges managed to get to their own home under the Fidelis. Speaking of which...

He smirked as he saw Bellatrix, one of his most faithful. She had been ecstatic to be free of that place, and she would be a good teacher for his new recruits. Not to mention her dueling skills. He saw the woman speaking to her sister, Narcissa. While Narcissa wasn't marked, she regularly attended meetings and dealt with their injured. He was glad that at least two of the Black sisters managed to reunite. It would have been perfect to have the third, to complete the set, but Andromeda was lost to them forever, wherever she was in the muggle world.

He grit his teeth at the thought of her daughter. Nymphadora Tonks! An up and coming Auror, according to what his followers had reported. Not only was she a skilled duelist, she was a metamorph as well. Too bad that she would have to die. Hmm...perhaps he could have his men capture her. Any offspring she would have would be more likely to have the talent as well. Would she be resistant to the Imperious?

Moody had killed over 30 men during the battle- the old bastard was a constant thorn in his side. He couldn't wait to kill him. He would have to do it himself. Too bad he had no idea where the old man lived.

And Shacklebolt, the other Auror that had stood out. Not too much information on him- he came to the UK just a few years beforehand, transferring to the Auror Department. No family- no known friendships outside of his coworkers. He was a skilled duelist, very skilled, and very powerful. He would either have to be eliminated, or converted. A wand like that would be useful to have. He would have men investigate.

Severus...he had been there too. Voldemort frowned at this, thin fingers clenching his armrest in anger, making the wood creak dangerously under the pressure. Severus had fought, and fought well. He'd known for a while now that the man was a traitor- he had to die. Unfortunately, the man seemed to know this, as he never seemed to leave the Hogwarts grounds. Well...sooner or later, he would have to leave. And he knew just the way to do it. It was no secret that the man cared about his Slytherins. He wanted to kill the man himself- to make sure everyone knew no one could just...leave his service.

And...Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived- had been there! Oh, how furious he was when he found out that they'd missed each other only by a few minutes. The handle of his armrest twisted off at this, landing at his feet with a dull thud. It bounced off the dias.

Bellatrix and Narcissa approached, bowing low. "My Lord? Is something wrong with your chair?" Narcissa asked quietly, keeping her gaze down.

"No. Fix it, Bella."

Bellatrix drew out her wand, and with a flick, the chair was repaired. She bowed again at his feet, her dark eyes glittering with happiness and a bit of...insanity. He had feared this. The woman hadn't been the most stable to begin with, what with her penchant of pain under the cruciatus, and her...history. Being at Azkaban most likely made her worse.

"My Master...I am so glad that you freed us of our cells..." She breathed, taking his hand into hers, kissing it lovingly. Voldemort just barely managed to keep himself from sneering. She had said this repeatedly in the hours after they had come to the Manor. While he did admire Bella's devotion, he knew that she cared for him much more than she ought to. He would never return her affections- it was beneath him. Still, her devotion was useful.

At her side, Narcissa stood still, keeping her gaze down.

"I am glad to have you back, Bella. At least I know you won't betray me." Voldemort withdrew his hand.

Bella straightened. "Yes! Master, did you hear of Severus fighting at the old fool's side?"

"Oh, I certainly did." Voldemort purred. "And the Potter whelp was there as well."

Bella blinked. "The child? I did not see him, or I would have taken him away and brought him to you, my Lord-"

"I know, Bella. If I had expected him to be there, I would have stayed there myself and killed him. However...he will get what is due. Narcissa, are all the rooms prepared?"

The woman gave him a slight nod.

"Good. Have our guests get some well deserved rest."

"Yes, m'Lord." The woman murmured, and walked away.

Bella stayed by his side, looking up at him adoringly. "Master, do you need anything of me?"

"I know that your husband and his brother are preparing their Manor for habitation under the Fidelis, however, I would like for you to stay here, so you can be close by."

"Yes, My Lord."

"We have quite a few men that aren't versed well in the Unforgivables and some of your...specialties, so I would like for you to be in charge of training them. They're also using unfamiliar wands, so they will struggle at first. Feel free to punish those who are doing poorly."

"Yes, My Lord." The woman repeated, inching closer to him.

"...Of course, I would like for you to take care of yourself as well. I know all those years in Azkaban must have made you feel tired and ill- I want you to be in your best shape, so you can fight at my side."

The woman bowed low to him. "Yes Master, anything you wish."

x-x-x

Rufus Scrimengour was not a stupid man. So he had completely expected the floo call from Albus Dumbledore late that afternoon. There were already whispers of the Dark Lord having returned for quite some time, even at the Ministry of Magic, where Fudge was trying his best to keep people from saying such things.

With the events of the previous night, everyone knew what had happened, but they were just too afraid to say it. They were at war, again. Rufus had only been a small child, not even Hogwarts age, when Dumbledore had defeated Grindenwald. Unlike so many of his Gryffindor colleagues in the Auror corps, he wasn't blind to the man's faults and subtle political manipulations.

What had really opened his eyes the previous night was the child that had fought at the Headmaster's side. No, not a child. A warrior, in the making. Harry Potter. While Rufus hadn't been able to watch the boy in action, as he was a bit preoccupied, the fact that he was still standing at the end really told him something. This child, this...boy...was the future. He was the next Albus Dumbledore, the next Merlin...perhaps.

So...when he met with Albus Dumbledore in the Headmaster's office that afternoon, he really wanted to know more about Harry Potter. Rufus wore a fresh pair of Auror's robes, as his old ones were stained in blood, filth, and sweat- his wife was doing her damnedest to get the stuff out. They'd most likely have to toss them. Rufus sat across from the old Headmaster, trying his best not to be impressed with the man's grand office and numerous trinkets. Even Fawkes, the man's legendary Phoenix, didn't distract him from his mission.

Rufus adjusted his glasses, leaning forward. The Headmaster just proposed that he would be calling for Fudge's resignation, and if Rufus supported this, then Albus would put his name forward as Minister of Magic. Rufus honestly did not want to be Minister. There was a reason why Amelia was Head of the DMLE for so many years- that was where the real force of the Ministry was held. Not only did she control the Auror forces, she also sat as a Judge in the Wizengamot for major trials- something he hadn't even gotten to do yet.

"I...see."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "I see you're not very enthusiastic."

"Well, to be honest, with this war coming, my skills could be better used with the DMLE, rather than acting Minister."

"Well, Harry and I went over the possible other candidates, and you seemed the best. Not only you politically connected, you have a strong work history and background in protecting others as an Auror. We need a Minister that would make people feel safe."

Harry Potter had recommended him? This insinuated that the boy and the Headmaster were close. Interesting.

"And why is Harry Potter not here with us, then?" Rufus asked.

Dumbledore smiled. "He is resting, of course. We all had a long evening, as you know."

Rufus leant back in his chair, giving a Look to the man.

Dumbledore sighed. "Of course, if you would like to meet him..."

"I would. We didn't get a chance to talk last night, and I wanted to thank him for his help."

"...Of course. Kipsy!" A house elf appeared beside the Headmaster.

"Yes Headmaster Dumblydore sir?" The elf chirped.

"Could you please fetch Harry Potter for me? Tell him that I and Rufus Scrimengour would like to talk to him. Ah...just him, if you will?"

The elf nodded firmly, and popped away.

Dumbledore smiled at this. "Ah, the lad has a tendency to bring his friends with him wherever he goes- popular, you know."

"And pretty good with a wand, I gather. He was still standing at the end of that Battle last night."

"Oh...yes, well, he is rather good. He's been training for some time."

Rufus frowned slightly at this. The way that the Headmaster said this made him wonder...how long had the boy been training exactly, and why?

"I've seen him in the papers...wasn't he adopted by the Malfoys some years ago?"

"...ah, yes. I...would have dissuaded him from doing that, if I had known..." The man cleared his throat. "But I think he knows better now to place his trust blindly."

There was a knock at the office door.

"Come in, Harry."

The door opened, and Rufus stood, watching the young man enter. He was a bit short for his age, and rather slender. Strange, he wasn't built like most duelists, but he certainly moved like one. His hair was long, pulled back into a thick plait that ended somewhere around his thighs. He wore a dark green shirt, and black trousers- ah yes, the boy was a Slytherin. His brilliant green eyes were guarded and wary. Rufus could tell that he was favoring one foot over the other- perhaps he'd been injured the previous evening.

"Headmaster, Mr. Scrimengour." He greeted.

"Harry my boy, please you like a lemondrop? Perhaps some tea?"

Harry sat down next to Rufus. "No thank you Headmaster." The boy said quietly.

"Mr. Scrimengour and I were talking about our idea. He wanted to meet with you."

Harry turned slightly, looking the man in the eye. Rufus was taken aback by the sudden smile, transforming the serious, but attractive face, into a breathtaking one. Rufus cleared his throat, extending his hand. "Mr. Potter. I wanted to thank you for your help last night."

Harry shook his hand, still smiling. "Thank you, sir. Of course, I wasn't the only one there- you and your Aurors did the best they could- in particular, Miss Tonks. I understand she's just finished her training?"

"...Yes. That's right. I believe that was her first major battle- I heard she'd been involved with a few Deatheaters last summer, but I suppose it was a real eye opener for her. And you as well."

The boy looked away at this, smile fading slightly. "Yes. Well, all of us will have quite a bit of work to do in the near future. I would understand if you did not want to be Minister- I think all of here know who the real power is behind the Ministry."

Scrimengour glanced at Dumbledore, who was watching the young Slytherin carefully. Why did he feel so uneasy?

The Headmaster's floo flared. "Dumbledore! Those twin menaces set off fireworks in my office again!" Dolores Umbridge's voice screeched through the office.

Dumbledore sighed. "I'll come through, Dolores. Excuse me, gentlemen." Dumbledore left.

Rufus shook his head at this. "Seems like the students here don't care for Umbridge either." He attempted to joke, watching the boy's reaction. Potter didn't look so surprised at the interruption of their meeting. Interesting.

"We have reason to. Not only did she use a blood quill on students during their detentions, she also isn't trying to teach us a thing." The boy said simply. Rufus was rocked by this revelation, but tried not to show it.

"This hasn't been reported- I would have heard of it."

"No...you wouldn't have." Harry said quietly, looking down at his lap. "She's no longer using the quill, because we complained to the Headmaster. But she really shouldn't be here at all. I think any reports that the students have made have been...mysteriously disappearing in the post."

"...I see." This was a grave accusation, something that needed to be dealt with quickly. Tampering with mail was frowned upon, especially in times like this. Interception of letters could lead to disasters.

"While such things are important..." The boy turned to face him head on. "What I'd like to know is...do you think you would make a competent Minister?"

"...I would, but I don't think I would be best for that position."

"Well...Fudge can't be there any longer. The man is corrupt, and an idiot. Believe me, I've met him numerous times. Sure, the Minister just might be a 'Face', but I believe with you in that position, people will believe that we've really got someone that can help and protect them."

"I see. So...you and Dumbledore are teaming up on me, eh?"

The boy raised a brow. "Where did you get the idea that Dumbledore and I are teaming up on anything? We just happened to agree on something."

Rufus stared at the boy before him, realizing that had made him feel uncomfortable earlier. Albus Dumbledore and the Boy Who Lived were not friends or comrades, or even considered themselves colleagues. Harry Potter did not like Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter did not trust him. And for some reason, Albus Dumbledore felt the same.

Moody would probably know. He always seemed to know.

"I see. Well, I will think the offer over. I must be going- much to do. Please let the Headmaster know."

The boy gave him a slight nod, and Rufus stood. "It was a pleasure meeting you at last." And he left.

x-x-x

Dean grimaced as he limped through the corridor several days later, extremely early one morning. It was just after dawn, and Hogwarts was silent. He'd been on an all-nighter mission again. Man, this was killing him. He was looking forward to that day- no classes. Just sleep.

He heard a noise up ahead, and quickly ducked into an alcove, and with a flick of his wand, he vanished from sight.

Umbridge and Filch's voices were heard.

"We can't just let them get away with this- Scrimengour was threatening me! Me! That no good Potter boy and those-those friends of his! Troublemakers, all of them!" Umbridge spat.

"Now, now Dolores, we'll get our revenge soon. While have them hanging by their thumbs in the dungeons soon." Filch said gruffly. Dean held his breath as he spotted Mrs. Norris sniffing about, coming closer to him.

Both adults paused as they saw the cat sniffing at him.

"Mrs. Norris? Find a sneaky student did we?" The cat hissed, curling about Dean's feet.

Dean reacted, knocking Filch to the ground, breaking his nose. Mrs. Norris screeched, and Umbridge had her wand out in a flash. Dean, however, was quicker. He drew out his wand, and with a silent flick, She fell to the ground, her insides spilling out onto the floor. Dean ran like hell down the corridor, heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know where to go- Filch had still been conscious when he ran off- he needed to go elsewhere- ah, the Forest. Make them think it was a deatheater.

Dean booked it, making his way outside the castle, making sure to wake up the portraits as he went. After all, they would report that they heard someone running, but saw nothing. Dean caught his breath by Hagrid's hut, and calmed himself down. He looked up at the November sky, wondering when it had become so easy to kill people.

He snuck back into the castle, making sure to remain undetected, and not going anywhere near where Umbridge had been. He was taking a shower in the Gryffindor boy's dorm when the others woke up.

Everyone was told at breakfast that morning, that a suspected Deatheater had gotten into the castle, as Umbridge had been killed because of an extremely dark curse. Dean made sure to look appropriately shocked and frightened at the news.

By lunch time, Fudge was ousted from the Ministry, and there was a major investigation as to how a deatheater could have gotten onto the grounds. While these were all certainly pluses, Dean did NOT want to get caught. What in the hell was he going to do?

x-x-x

Oh noes! I'm glad Umbridge is dead, but what about Dean? Do you think he'll get caught? Please review.


	50. Chapter 50

Love In the Dark

* * *

Harry kills both Dumbledore and Voldemort during a major battle, at the same time, in front of Voldemort's followers. He sucks their lifeforce, their magic out, acting as a channel between their 'unnatural' magic and the earth. The resulting explosion of magic causing an influx of magic users in the surrounding area, as well as more magical varieties of plants and animals formed- thus creating a renaissance in the magical world in the incoming years. It would be called many years from then the 'Awakening'.

After the battle, everyone fears and adores him. Voldemort's followers think that he's the new Dark Lord, while those who are Light Sided believe that he's Dumbledore's protege.

He decides to teach History of Magic instead. XD

Seriously, Harry finds that he doesn't like everyone's expectations, and decides to teach, because he's been doing that for so long, he likes it, and he's good at it. He teaches history because he wants to prevent another Voldemort or Dumbledore from occuring, making sure that people know their history about those who abuse their power.

He lives openly with Severus, becoming the first openly gay wizarding figure in history. He is also a major philanthropist. Not only does the Ministry of Magic completely change (with help from Shack, Tonks, Moody, Hermione, and a few others), he also improves life in the muggle world as well. He also creates an adoption program for muggleborns just after they're first detected, in case they are being mistreated.

Millie becomes a household name and influence for witches around the world, opening the first wizarding art gallery in Diagon Alley, as well as one of the strongest duelists in a century. She also lives openly with her lover, Ginny Weasley, who becomes one of the star chasers for the Holyhead Harpies.

The Twins go on to create a plethora of prank goods and inventions that revolutionize the potions industry, and influence many others to create their own spells and potions. Sirius and Moony often help them with funding and such, and put their own ideas to good use.

Dean ends up retiring from the Hitwizard business after the war is over, and uses his contacts and all the money he earned by killing off the most notorious deatheaters to help fund a trip around the world with Luna. She becomes a world reknown naturalist, discovering many new species of animals. They never marry, but are together for the rest of their lives- rather scandalous, no? No one ever finds out that he was the one who killed Umbridge.

Fleur ends up snagging Bill Weasley, and they end up moving to France to get away from Molly Weasley. Fleur still sends graphic letters to Mil from time to time, which both she and Ginny get a kick out of.

Shacklebolt actually ends up becoming the Minister of Magic. No one ever knows that he was originally sent there by the ICW Hitwizards, except for Dean and Harry. Tonks follows in the footsteps of Amelia Bones, eventually becoming Head of the DMLE.

Lucius and Narcissa end up taking in some of the children that are found from Harry's orphanage program, and both live to be a ripe old age. They are both very, very happy. It might have something to do with their old friends, Sev and Harry, visiting their rooms every once in a while.

Draco ends up becoming one of the best Healers in wizarding history, curing a whole host of wizarding and muggle diseases. Pansy, his wife, becomes a Healer at Hogwarts.

Neville becomes a rather well known herbologist, and after a bout of traveling, ends up settling at Hogwarts as the Herbology Professor. He ends up living with both Hannah and Susan, since they apparently like to share, even after all those years. Neville is a very lucky man like that.

Ron ends up living in a one-room hovel, forever regretting the day that he ever met Harry Potter.

Tom Riddle and Dumbledore become warnings for the wizarding world, to never let power corrupt again. Laws are put into place to prevent anyone holding so much political power as Dumbledore did, as well as heavy legislation on lobbying to prevent sycophants like Fudge from ever happening.

Dark and Light magic are both recognized as legitamate magics, and are recognized as both being required to retain the balance in the world.

Harry Potter never discovers the other Prophecy that was meant for him, the one that Dumbledore had believed was for him. He was destined to join both the light and the dark for once and for all, ending the age old battle between them. Which he did.

He and his lover, Severus, live out the rest of their days in relative peace. Well, about as peaceful as you can get at Hogwarts. They have their fights, yes, but they always make up after a good bout of shagging.

* * *

So...you might be wondering why I did that. I'm sorry to cut this off so shortly. Some of you may have been expecting this story to go on for ages- so did I.

The thing is...I can't write any more. I have too much going on in my life. I...am retiring from writing fanfiction. Permanently. Seriously.

I'm sorry.

I know some of you are crying right now, honestly, I've been crying too, all night. But I have to. I will change my profile to reflect this. All of my uncompleted stories are up for adoption, if you like. Just give me credit.

Some of you may ask why I am doing this. So here is a story, my last one for all of you:

My first memory is my Mother teaching me how to draw. One of my other earliest memories is me wanting to become a famous artist, like the legends of Picasso, Cindy Sherman and the like. Even at Five, I knew who they were. One of the first books I ever remember looking at was a Picasso Biography, with full color pictures of his life's work.

I drew picture after picture, covering my notebooks, margins of textbooks, shoes, clothing, sketchbooks, and graduating to watercolors, paints, printmaking, and everything else. I want to be an artist. I've always wanted to be an artist, for as long as I can remember. I figured making art was better than what I saw in real life. I wanted to create work that people would see hundreds of years from now, and still be able to identify with, to still be able to be moved by it.

I've been in exhibitions since the age of fourteen, winning all sorts of prizes and scholarships. I was an overachiever in high school, graduating with a 4.2 GPA, over 300 hours of community service, and working at an art museum to help support my family. I came from a rather poor background, and grew up mostly isolated because of my second-hand clothes, me being into girls, and my habit of being too quiet, and avoiding large crowds.

I went on to college with many AP art credits under my belt, only to leave college just a couple of years later under a sprialling depression- caused by the death of my Uncle, as well as finally acknowledging the abuse that I went through for many years by my family. Even with the scholarships, I still have quite a bit of debt.

I left college, I left town, and left everything behind, moving to another state hundreds of miles away. I managed to find love, but found myself floundering artistically. I was able to write hundreds of thousands of words of fanfiction, yes, while the drive to make my own art was fading away.

Fanfiction has been a major part of my life for over seven years, but that has to change. I've been really struggling these past few months to keep a balance between writing and art, and I'm afraid to say that it's not been working very well. While I love writing, and I love reading all of your responses, I want to fufill my lifelong dream.

As of this moment, I have close to a million hits on all of my stories, combined. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I have enjoyed learning that I have readers all the way from Bosnia, Somalia, China, Korea, South Africa, Russia, and many, many, more places. I am honored that I have all made your days a little bit better with each new chapter, with each new story that I have written.

I want to be able to make the same impact with my art work, to create a message that everyone can identify with, just like my stories here do. So I'm leaving here, and I will be moving on to do other things.

My real name is Rose Sipperley. Find me on Facebook if you want to rant. I'm on twitter as Hecateslover, if you're on there. If you want to talk, I'll listen. Share your stories with me, and I'll always share mine. Just...through my art.

Thank you for reading my stories.


End file.
